If Only
by Kitale
Summary: “A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for.” Fiyeraba.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Wicked.

Summary: "A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for." (Not what you think) Fiyeraba. I guess AU.

Oh, and this isn't beta-ed. I dont think i'll have that much errors. I just wanted a story I could post whenever I wanted.

Oh and just for fun! I'm going to begin each chapter with part of a song! haha. See if you can guess it. It shouldn't be to hard, since it'll either be from a musical or a disney song

* * *

**Chapter 1 **

_I had a dream my life would be  
So different from this hell I'm living  
So different now from what it seemed  
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed_

Elphaba streaked for the bathroom with her hand clamped over her mouth. She hardly reached the toilet before she was violently sick. She groaned as she wrapped her arms loosely around her stomach. She felt sick and tired, but there was nothing she could do about it.

Taking a deep breath and using the bathroom sink for support, she heaved herself to her feet. She glanced in the mirror, and ignored the shivering that took hold of her arms as she reached for her toothbrush. She hardly even recognized herself these days. Dark circles sagged beneath her eyes from reckless nights of sleep, the color was drained from her face almost entirely, and her whole body was covered in sweat. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but she found she couldn't slow her rapid breathing down.

It was useless. The nightmare had simply terrified her. Much worse than the other ones. Of course, she should have gotten use to it by now, since it was the _same _nightmare every night, but it only got worse. It was horrifying, even for her. She rarely got scared, but it had felt so real and _painful._ She squinted her eyes shut, trying to clear the image from her head, but it was of no use. The image had been etched into her mind forever.

She gasped as her legs gave out from under her. Slumped against the wall and leaning back her head, she chocked back a sob. Why had this happened to her? She had done nothing wrong. Was she being punished for someone else's sin? All her life she had dreamed of attending Shiz, but now life had killed that dream.

Elphaba sighed inwardly. Two months since _it_ happened. She hadn't wanted to. She had asked _it_ to stop, but _it _didn't. For sometime now she had been in denial, but now she had to face it. Face something that her seventeen year old body wasn't ready for. Most of the time she didn't care what people thought of her, but she could only imagine what people would begin to say about her and her family. She felt her stomach drop. Frex would surely kick her out if he ever found out.

Panic threatened to overwhelm her. Where would she go? She closed her eyes tightly, and slowly, she wrapped her arms firmly around her stomach. No one could know about the unborn child.

* * *

**I know it was short, but i just wanted to get it started. The next chapter will be a lot longer.**

**Should I continue?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

_Will I lose my dignity  
will someone care  
will I wake tomorrow  
from this nightmare_

It wasn't hard to hide her pregnancy from her father and from her classmates. Her father was rarely home, like he usually was. School was harder, but she managed. Her classmates hardly paid attention to her, and simply wearing looser and baggier clothing solved her problem. However, she was always stressed and tired. Eventually, she found her grades slipping, and it didn't go unnoticed by her sister.

Elphaba groaned. It was nearly impossible to avoid her, and since they lived together, Nessa was always questioning her. Simple as they were, Elphaba didn't want to answer any of them. Questions like _Elphaba, why are you always so tired? Do you think you should go see a doctor? Are you sick? Are you gaining weight? _The last questioning had bothered her. She was gaining weight and she couldn't stop it. Soon, the secret would be out and that frighten her to no end.

What would her father do? Would he kick her out or worse yet, would he kill it? She shuddered at the thought. In the beginning she had wanted nothing to do with it, but as the months went by she couldn't help but have feelings for it. After all, the child was a part of her too. It was odd, feeling attached to something she hardly knew. Something – _someone – _she loved so much that wasn't even born yet. Of course, she had gone over the fact of being a mother, and that scared her. She wouldn't be a good one. She knew that much.

Sighing, Elphaba wrapped her arms around her four month pregnant belly. _I won't let anything hurt you. _

"Elphaba," her sister asked hesitantly, panic sneaking into her voice. "I want to talk to you."

Elphaba was sitting at the kitchen table, preparing dinner. Their father had left for another business trip and wouldn't be home until the end of the month. "About what?"

Nessa wheeled herself to the table, and stared at her sister with intense eyes. "I'm worried about you."

"I'm fine, Nessa," she told her through gritted teeth.

Nessa scoffed, apparently thinking otherwise. "I learned some interesting… stuff… in the past week at school."

"Oh. What about?"

"Pregnancy."

Elphaba coughed violently, but immediately retained herself. She had completely forgotten the school forced sophomores to take health. And since Nessa was a sophomore, she would know everything. "Aren't you a little young to be learning about that stuff?" she asked. She didn't know what else to say.

"Aren't you?" Nessa asked harshly.

Elphaba froze. So Nessa knew. She stared at her sister for a long moment, and then dropped her eyes shyly. In a soft voice she asked, "How long have you known?"

"Two weeks," Nessa told her gently, but in seconds her expression changed from nice to harsh. "Elphaba, father will –"

"Will never find out."

Nessa shook her head in protest. "Elphaba, how could you?!" Nessa snapped at her. "What in Oz name were you thinking? Do you know how this looks? You're not even married!"

"Do you think I wanted this to happen? Do you think I planned this?"

"You have sinned us all!"

Elphaba looked away, so Nessa couldn't see the tears threaten to fall from her eyes. She inhaled a deep breath. She never cried, and she wasn't going to start now. "Please, Nessa… don't tell father."

Nessa was silent for a long moment before she finally spoke up. "Who's the father?"

Elphaba winced. The one question she never wanted to answer. The question that haunted her dreams. It was the one question that made her think twice about the baby. What if it looked like _it_, or worse acted like _it _too. She wouldn't be able to deal with it, and that made her feel horrible. Shouldn't mothers love their children no matter what? But then again, that had never applied to her parents. "Nessa… I…"

A look of horror appeared across Nessa's face. "Oh, Oz! You don't know! Do you?! Elphaba, you are not the girl I thought you –"

"I know who the father is!" Elphaba snapped.

"Oh. Then who is it?"

"It doesn't matter," Elphaba told her miserably.

"I think it does."

"It doesn't."

Nessa eyes grew cross. "I'll tell father –"

"Fine, I'll tell you. Ok?" Elphaba huffed. Sighing, she took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. "He goes to our school. He sits next to me in science. I… Ryu…"

"Ryu? Elphaba, that boy…"

"Nessa, you have to understand I didn't want to!"

Her sister's eyes grew wide as she processed the information in her head. "Were you… were you…" Nessa trailed off, unable to say the word.

Elphaba didn't say anything. If she said no she was telling a lie. If she said yes she was saying something she wasn't ready to accept.

"What are you going to do about the child? You can't possible want to keep it now. Do you?" When Elphaba didn't say anything, Nessa's mouth dropped open. "How can you possibly want to keep that…that… _thing?_"

She winced at the word, but she shouted right back. Her child wasn't a thing. "It's a part of me too."

An awkward silence spread over them, neither knowing what to say. Eventually, Nessa found her voice, "You'll have to tell father."

"I don't have to –"

"If you don't... I will." With those words Nessa wheeled herself out of the room, not evening bothering to say goodnight.

--

A whole month had passed before Elphaba had to face her father. She was showing now and it was nearly impossible to miss. So when her father walked through the door she sat at the table, so her stomach was hidden under it. She had prepared dinner, like she always did, but this time she made his favorite. Hopefully, it would make him less malicious and maybe have_ some_ sympathy for her. However, she knew it was unlikely, but she could only hope.

Wordlessly, her father sat down and immediately began to dig into his food. From across the table Nessa glared at her, but Elphaba just ignored it.

"Did you have a nice trip…?" Elphaba managed to force out. It felt odd trying to achieve small talk with her father. Apparently, he thought so too because he gave her the most discourteous look.

"Good." He then turned to his other daughter and smiled. "Nessa, how was school? I know I was gone long. Was your sister good to you?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes, and mumbled under her breath, "No I starved her to death."

Nessa smiled sweetly at him. "School has been great. I'm taking health as you know." She eyed Elphaba, giving her the 'tell him' look. Elphaba ignored it, and Nessa huffed. "Father, Elphaba has something very important to tell you."

"No I don't," Elphaba told them harshly.

"Yes you do!"

"No, I –"

"Elphaba," Frex spat. "Don't be so harsh. Now, what do you have to tell me?"

She couldn't look him in the eye. She couldn't tell him the truth. He would disown her. She wasn't stupid. If she told him then he had a_ reason_ to kick her out. He had always wanted a reason, and now he was going to get it. Where would she go? No one wanted her. She placed a hand on her bulging belly, and corrected herself. No one wanted _them. _"It's nothing…"

Nessa huffed, exasperated. "Elphaba's pregnant!"

Elphaba glared at her. It took all her power not to knock her sister off her chair. The one person she even thought cared about her didn't. It hurt that no one really loved her. How could she?

"_What_?" Frex seemed to be at lost for words. Disbelief and confusion were clearly written across his face. For moment, hope returned to Elphaba. Maybe he didn't believe his favorite daughter. But then he turned to look at her, and for the first time in her life she was actually scared of him. He had never physically abused her, but the look on his face made her stomach lurch. Wordlessly, he stood up and walked over to where she was sitting. "Stand up," he ordered.

Elphaba winced. His voice was harsh, rude, demanding. "It's not –" but her sentence ended in an uncharacteristic screech. Frex had gripped her wrist tightly, pulling his eldest daughter to her feet. He took one look at her and spat in disgust.

"You are no daughter of mine."

She dropped her eyes shyly and protectively wrapped her arms around her stomach. "You don't –"

"Tell Father what you told me, Elphaba. He'll understand," Nessa piped up. She could see the fear in her sister's eyes. She hadn't meant for their father to get _this _mad.

However, for the first time he ignored his favorite daughter. "Stay out of this Nessa." He quickly turned all of his attention back to Elphaba. "What in Oz name were you thinking?! Do you have any idea how this looks?! I'm the Governor of Munchkinland! I can't have a pregnant daughter!"

"I… I'm sorry…" she didn't know what else to say.

Frex glared at her, and with utter disgust he pushed her away from him. "I will not have you disown our family name. You can not live in this house while you're carrying that… that… _monster_!"

She winced in pain… literally. The baby had just given a sharp kick to her side. It was the first time she really felt it and for a moment she felt a jolt of happiness rush through her. It was as if the baby was reminding her that she wasn't alone. Elphaba stared at Frex, horrified. "What are you saying?"

"You'll leave."

"Father no!" Nessa cried. "Elphaba never –"

"Nessa, I told you to stay out of this!" he spoke harshly. "There is no room for someone who has committed such sin. You can go to the nunnery. I'm sure they'll have room for you."

Elphaba felt tears threaten to fall. "That's miles away! How will I ever –"

"It's not my problem."

Without thinking she ran. Ran from her father. Ran from her sister. Ran from her life.

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Like it? Love it it? Hate it?

Oh, Fiyero will be in the next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks so much for all your reviews!

Oh, and in this story Fiyero has a younger sister. She's not in this chapter, but she does get mentioned.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

_  
Hopeless  
As my dream dies  
As the time flies  
Love a lost illusion  
Helpless  
Unforgiving  
Cold and driven  
To this sad conclusion_

Elphaba had never felt so cold before. Of course, that was partially her fault. When she ran she had never considered the fact that it was winter. The middle of a cold, white, deadly winter. And to make matters worse she had no idea where she was. Not a clue.

After she had ran from home, she had aimlessly came upon the Great Gillikin Railway. Spying an empty cargo cart she hopped on, hoping the train would take her somewhere safe. She had always wanted to get out of Munchkinland. Maybe now was the time to do it. She hadn't planned on going far. In fact, she had planned to get off at the next stop, but to her shock she had ended up falling asleep. The train had taken her a lot father than where she wanted to go, and when she awoke, she found two guards standing before her. Without mercy they had literally thrown her off the train.

Elphaba groaned at the memory. Now she was aimlessly walking through some forest. A snowy one at that. She tried not think about her hunger, her thirst, or even how cold she was. Somehow, she managed to force herself to go on, desperately trying to convince herself that she would eventually come upon some house or town. She hoped that _eventually _came soon. However, as time passed, her hopes slowly began to diminish.

Elphaba gasped as her legs suddenly gave out from under her. Protectively, she wrapped her hands around her bulging stomach. "I'm sorry," she sobbed. Every ounce of energy and strength she possessed had been spent in favor of survival. She was exhausted, but determined nonetheless to go on. Grunting, she forced herself up, but only made it two feet before her wobbly legs gave out from under her again.

Gasping, she slumped against a tree. She was greatly unaware of how her body violently shook. It wasn't like her to give up, but she was dead tired. She was one second away from finally giving in when she heard a peculiar rustling of trees. The sound grew louder and drew nearer. Elphaba's eyes widened. Could it be? Could someone be on their way to rescue her? She was almost scared to believe it, but all doubt vanished when the bushes a bit further ahead swayed back and forth as if someone was pushing their way through them.

Without any further warning, a man burst through the clearing. The relief that hit Elphaba square in the chest was too big to comprehend. However, she didn't celebrate long and she never got a good look at the man's face. She had simply welcomed the darkness, now that help was here. She would return to the light soon enough, but for now she needed the darkness to cloak her pain and make her forget, if only for a little while. Her world turned soothingly black.

--

Fiyero Tiggular was now riding his favorite white stallion through the snowy Gillikin Forest. He was miles away from home and he was loving every ounce of it. It's not that he hated the Vinkus. He actually enjoyed it most of the time, but the Gillikin Forest was so magical compared to home. It was his vacation spot. Every year he would set aside one week and travel here. It was his getaway. His freedom from the Prince world. Here, no one could yell at him. Here, no one could force him to be something he didn't want to be. Here, he was himself.

The only downside was, he had to take his bodyguard, (although Fiyero was twice his size) Avaric, with him. However, it didn't bother him _that _much. After all, Avaric and him were friends.

"Fiyero! Slow down!"

Fiyero brought his horse to a halt, and impatiently he waited for his friend to catch up. When he finally did, Fiyero couldn't help but laugh. "Avaric, you look like a clown."

Avaric glared at him, but he knew it was true. His nose and cheeks were a bright red, and he was bundled in an oversized coat. "I hate the snow. I hate the cold. I hate the Gillikin Forest."

"You didn't have to come," Fiyero pointed out.

"You know I had too. It was an order from your parents."

Fiyero shrugged. "You don't have to do _everything_ they tell you. I don't."

"That's why they hired me."

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "How can you hate this? It's magical here."

"It's cold."

"So?" Fiyero smirked.

"And snowy," Avaric told him miserably. "Why don't you like the Vinkus?"

"It's hot and dry."

"And that's a problem because?"

Fiyero shrugged off the question. Dreamily, he gazed off into the dense forest. It truly was a winter wonderland. "If I had it my way I would stay here for another week."

"You know we can't do that. We must be off tomorrow morning."

Fiyero sighed. "I know. I just don't want to go…" he trailed off, a hint of sadness sneaking into his voice.

"Why?"

"Do you know what it's like? To have the pressure of becoming the king?! It's madness. Why can't Kara do it!?"

"Kara just turned twelve," Avaric pointed out. "She's much too young."

Fiyero grumbled angrily. "Why couldn't she have been the first born?"

Avaric shrugged. "Life's unfair. Now please can we go back to camp? It's freezing!"

Fiyero zoned out his friend. His ears pricked at the sound of a soft moan in front of him. He peered out into the dense forest, but saw nothing. He sighed. It must have been the wind, but then he froze again. The moan came again.

"The camp is just so much… hey! Are you even listening to –?"

"Shh!" Fiyero snapped at his friend. Carefully, he jumped off his horse and slowly, he began to push his way through the thick vegetation. He could here Avaric's call of protest from behind him, but he ignored it. The sound was getting closer and it sounded like a…_a person_. A person in pain. He quickened up his pace, and without warning he burst through the clearing.

It took him a moment to register the fact that it actually was a person. An unconscious person. Fiyero cursed as he ran to the young person's side. Panic threatened to overwhelm him, and suddenly he found himself wishing he had paid attention to his mother's lessons about medical advice. He groaned. Where was his mother when he needed her? She was a doctor and she would know exactly what to do, but he wasn't one. Fiyero cursed.

"Sir…?" Avaric suddenly burst through the clearing. "Oz, what the…!?"

"I don't know!" Fiyero shouted, exasperated.

Avaric took a step closer and then recoiled in shock. "Is she… _green_?"

Fiyero stared at the woman for the first time. "Hmm. I didn't notice." And that's when he saw the bump. The perfectly round, clear as day, baby bump. Oz, he felt sick. "Avaric… I think… she's pregnant!"

"What!?"

Without hesitation he scooped the girl up, bridal style, into his arms. She was almost weightless, and he desperately tried to ignore the way she was violently shivering. "Oz, she's freezing! Come on let's get her back to the cabin!"

"B-but… she's _green!" _

Fiyero didn't stop for a moment. "She's still a person. We can't let her _die_."

That seemed to snap Avaric out of his state of mind, and without dallying he helped Fiyero and the girl onto the white horse.

"I'll meet you at the cabin."

Avaric nodded as he heaved himself onto his own horse. "I'll be right behind you."

Together they rode towards their camp. Fiyero held the girl tightly to him, hoping that some of his body heat would warm her. However, the way she was shivering told him it wasn't working. Fiyero gulped. The only thing he could do now was pray that he wasn't too late. It was then that the woman stirred, and Fiyero pulled her closer still.

"I… what… where…?" she asked in a mere whisper.

"Shh," he soothed. "You're safe now."

She nodded and then surrendered into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

I may or may not update tomorrow.

I'll try though.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_But now that it's done  
Hope you don't mind  
I hope you don't mind  
That I put down in words  
How wonderful life is now you're in the world_

Fiyero didn't mean to stare. He was just so worried. He didn't know anything about her, but he just wanted her and the unborn child to be ok. The doctor they had fetched from a nearby town told him that she was perfectly fine and healthy. However, it didn't ease his state of mind, and it wouldn't until she woke up. He sighed. Once she woke up he would feel much better. That didn't seem like it was happening anytime soon, though. She had been out for hours, and it was nearly midnight.

Sighing inwardly, he got up and placed another log on the fire. The cabin was unbearably hot, but the girl wouldn't stop shivering. For Oz sake! She was wrapped in three large blankets! How cold could one person be?

Dying of boredom, Fiyero plopped down in a chair and let his eyes wonder around the small room. He tried very, _very _hard not to look at the emerald girl, but despite his greatest efforts, his eyes kept going back to her. Giving up, he observed her.

She was breathtaking in her own way, but only one thing_ really_ seemed to stand out for him. It wasn't her skin, though he had to admit, it was interesting. It wasn't her eyes, though they were closed, he imagined they would be amazing as well. It was her hair. It was as dark as midnight, flowed freely over her shoulders, and shined in the soft light. He had the sudden urge to reach out and touch it, but he somehow managed to retain himself. Instead, he just imagined. He imagined it felt like silk.

"Draw a picture. It'll last longer."

Fiyero jumped, fell backwards, and landed with a soft thud on the ground. "Oz, Avaric! Didn't your parents ever teach you not to sneak up on people?"

"No," his tone was dull. "Well I'm going to bed. You should get some rest too. We must be off in the morning."

"Fine," he told him, but he had no intentions of doing so.

He watched Avaric leave and as soon as he disappeared into the other room, Fiyero raced for his desk. Slowly, he pulled out his sketch book and very carefully he touched his pencil to it. He smiled. For once in his life he was going to listen to his friend. He would draw the mysterious beauty.

He wasn't a creep, though. He was just board out of his mind.

He was nearly finished when he heard her stir.

--

Elphaba felt like she was on fire. She could feel the beads of sweat beginning to form across her forehead, and the mind-boggling headache slowly tortured her from the inside out. Groaning, she tried to roll over, but found she couldn't. Annoyed, she fluttered her eyes open. Panic threatened to overwhelm her sanity, and the splitting headache wasn't helping the matter. Elphaba exhaled as she took in her surroundings. She didn't recognize the small cabin and the fact that she wasn't alone scared her to no end.

Grunting, she struggled and thrashed about, trying to get the three layers of blankets off her. However, all her commotion had caused the man in the room to look her way. In seconds he was by her side. "Oh… here let me help."

Carefully, he unraveled her from the wool cocoon. Once he was done he gently took a seat next to her on the bed. She was grateful that the blankets were off her, but the temperature in the small cabin was still excruciatingly hot.

"I'm Fiyero!" the man greeted her cheerfully.

Elphaba stared at him intently and it wasn't until then she realized he wasn't wearing a shirt. She blushed a deep green and dropped her eyes shyly. However, as soon as she did a gasped escaped her throat. _She_ was wearing _his_ shirt. With a soft shriek, she grabbed the blanket to cover herself up. Quickly, she jumped off the bed, away from him_._ However, to her dismay, the sudden jolt made her dizzy, and in an instant she toppled forward. He opened his arms- by pure instinct- and she literally fell into them, heaving, looking extremely disoriented. It happened so fast, he didn't even have a chance to panic over it.

"Hey. Easy there," he told her softly, not letting her go.

She weakly tried to struggle out of his strong grip, but it was of no use. Fighting back tears, she forced her eyes shut. The situation made her stomach lurch. It hadn't been the first time she had woken up with another man and not knowing how she got there. Protectively, she wrapped her arms around her stomach.

It was as if this 'Fiyero' could read her thoughts. "Hey… it's going to be alright. You and the baby are going to be fine." Her eyes fluttered open and Fiyero could see the fear within them. Slowly, he released the woman from his grip. "I'm sorry…"

Desperately, she began to look for her dress and a way out, but she couldn't find either. Fiyero saw this and then something in his mind clicked. She was wearing his shirt, he was shirtless, and she awoke in his bed. It didn't take a genius to figure out what she was thinking.

"Oh… you think we… me and you…" Fiyero shook his head violently. "I would never." The look on her face told him she still wasn't buying it. Sighing, he tried again. "I found you out in the snow. You were freezing and your dress was soaked. So… I took it off…"

Her eyes grew wide and for a brief moment Fiyero thought she was going to kill him.

"But, I didn't look," he quickly added. "I never would have taken it off in the first place, but I was afraid you would die of frost bite. I thought you might be uncomfortable in just blankets, so I put my shirt on you…"

She nodded, finally remembering the events from the previous day. A jolt of emotional pain rushed through her. Her father had practically left her to die, but then she remembered the kind voice of a stranger whispering in her ear and her fears vanished. _"You're safe now,"_ he had said.

"Thank you," she told him softly.

Fiyero shrugged and subconsciously told her what he was thinking. "It looks better on you anyway."

She blushed and Fiyero groaned inwardly. Oz, he was stupid. How could he hit on someone who was carrying another man's child? It was sick, wrong, and repulsive. However, in his defense the oversized shirt completely hid her pregnancy. Sure, he thought she was cute, but he didn't want her to know that. Before he could make even more a fool of himself, he thought of something more appropriate to say. "A doctor was here."

"Oh."

Fiyero ran his hands through his hair; she wasn't making small talk easy for him. "He said you'll be fine… so will the baby. I think he said… five months… yeah. That's what he said. He said you were just over five months pregnant…" he trailed off realizing that he was babbling. He sighed. This was one of the most awkward situations he had ever been in. "I still don't know your name."

"Oh… it's Elphaba."

Fiyero gave her his most charming smile. The name suited her. She was cute in every awkward way he could think of. He wanted to ask her about her intriguing emerald skin, and her age, but he knew that both of those questions would be rude. But he still wanted to know, especially her age. She didn't look a day older than him, and he was only seventeen. In a way, Fiyero felt sorry for her. Oz, would he hate to be married and have a child at that age. "Where do you live? I can drop you off on my way home. I'm sure your husband must be worried sick."

As soon as he said it, he regretted it. He saw the pain play across her face, and the hint of sadness in her copper eyes. For a moment, Fiyero saw her vulnerability and he silently wondered if her husband had died. Luckily, he didn't have to ask. Instead, she answered his thoughts.

"I'm not married."

Fiyero tried not look shocked, but it was nearly impossible. Not too many girls ended up pregnant and unmarried. In his culture it was unheard of. Suddenly, he felt the urge to kill the bastard who did this to her. How could he just leave? Fiyero took a deep breath. Maybe she had a boyfriend. "Oh, I'll take you back to your home then."

Elphaba dropped her eyes, suddenly finding her hands very interesting. "I don't have a home anymore."

Fiyero frowned. Yes, he definitely had a very, _very _strong urge to kill the bastard now. How could he leave her to die? It didn't make sense. It was cruel and wrong. He stared at Elphaba for a long moment, and he could clearly see the pain etched onto her face. Gently, he reached over and took her hand in his. "It's going to be ok."

"How do you know that?" she snapped at him, quickly pulling her hand away from his.

"I just do."

"It's not going to be ok! I don't have any money. I don't have a home. I'm not married. And how the hell am I suppose to bring a baby into the world when I –"

He cut her off, "You can come back with me. I have money and a home. My mother is a doctor. She'll be able –"

Elphaba shook her head violently, and sadly she told him, "I couldn't do that to you, Fiyero. I don't even know you. I won't put my burden on your shoulders."

"At least you'll have a home. Somewhere safe." Gently, he gazed into her eyes. "And you are not a burden."

"What will your parents think?"

He shrugged. "I don't care what they think. Besides, it will make me feel better to know that you'll be safe."

"I'll be fine," she told him stubbornly.

"You don't look fine," he muttered.

Her eyes grew cross, but her voice was just above a whisper. "I'm a commotion. Believe me. You don't want me at your house. I just cause pain and hatred. I will not cause you misery."

He scoffed. Someone had self-esteem issues. "I find that really hard to believe. Elphaba, you need someone to take care of you. You're five months pregnant! You can't be wondering around the Gillikin Forest. It's not safe for a young girl."

"I'll be fine."

"Think of the baby," he told her, and he could finally see that he was getting through to her. "Face it. You need me."

She glanced down at her stomach, and firmly cradled it. "No. I don't need you. What I need is a miracle."

Fiyero smiled and lifted her chin so she met his eyes. "Ever think that _I'm_ your miracle?"

She couldn't help but give a shy grin.

* * *

Whoohoo! They met! lol

And i forgot to mention this... Thanks so much for all the reviews! It means a lot.

Anywho, Since the next chapter is only half way done, I probably won't update tomorrow. I'll try though.

If not tomorrow, then it'll be the day after.


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry! I would I have had this up this an hour ago, but I found the Piano sheet music to Edward's lullaby from Twilight, and I lost track of time!

Well, Anywho... here it is...

Oh, and thanks so much for all your reviews!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

_Heart don't fail me now  
Courage don't desert me  
Don't turn back now that we're here  
People always say  
Life is full of choices_

"You're eating it wrong!" Fiyero cried, devastation sneaking into his voice.

"It's pancakes. How am I eating it wrong?"

He sighed. "Here let me show you." Quickly, he grabbed her plate and squirted three inches of whipped cream on top. A smile lit up his face and slowly, he pushed it back to her. "There. Now you may eat."

Elphaba rolled her eyes, but nevertheless, she couldn't fight the smile spreading across her face. "Whipped cream?"

"There's no other way." Fiyero gave her his best hopeless romantic smile ever, hoping it would have some effect on her. However, to his disappointment she turned to Avaric with a question.

"Is he always like this?"

"Unfortunately," Avaric told her smugly.

"That is not true!" he told them defensively. So what if he liked whipped cream on his pancakes? It didn't hurt anyone. And that's when he saw it. Her smile. Her beautiful half-hearted smile. All his anger seemed to vanish with a blink of an eye, and immediately he vowed to recreate that smile. He had only known her for a few hours, but he could easily see that she didn't smile much. He wanted to know why, but he was almost positive he already knew.

It was her family. They had talked all night, neither one tired enough to sleep. He had told her about his family and when he had asked about hers, she would get this look in her eye. A depressed and very anguished look. Her eyes didn't sparkle when she was sad and that deprived him to no end.

Her voice interrupted his thoughts, "Are you two brothers?"

"I wish," Fiyero grumbled angrily. "Then he would be the older one."

"What?"

Avaric glared at Fiyero. "No. I'm only two years older, but I'm still his servant…"

"Come on, Avaric. You know I don't think of you like that. You're my best friend."

Elphaba watched a smile light Avaric's face, and slowly she turned to question Fiyero, "A servant?"

Fiyero blinked at her and then quickly turned back to Avaric, completely ignoring her question. "Avaric, could you please pass the orange juice?"

Avaric glared at him. "You didn't tell her?"

Fiyero shrugged. "There's nothing to tell."

"Tell me what?"

"It's nothing," he shrugged off. Avaric huffed, clearly thinking otherwise.

"Seriously, what aren't you telling me?"

Fiyero sighed. He could clearly see the anger spreading across her face, and he cursed silently to himself. He was doing exactly the opposite of what he was trying to recreate. Sighing, he leaned back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. It's not that he didn't want her to know. He just didn't want her to treat him any differently. Most girls would try to woo him, or only hang out with him because he had the money. He had never met a girl that had not known he was a prince before and frankly, he wanted to keep it that way.

"You don't need to know," Fiyero told her. That's when he saw her frown, and hopelessly, he gave in. "Fine. I'm the prince of the Vinkus. There. Happy?"

The shock that spread across her face was priceless. _"What?" _She clearly didn't believe him and Fiyero was grateful for that. Very slowly, her eyes flickered to Avaric and then back to him. It was as if she was processing the information in her head, trying to convince herself that it was lie.

Fiyero smiled. "Well, now that you know. I think we should be on our way."

"No."

He froze. "What?"

"I'm not going with you."

"What? Why?"

Avaric cleared his throat. "I think I'll do the dishes now." Not wanting to get caught in a fight, he cleared the table and disappeared into the kitchen.

Elphaba glared at him, and in a stern voice she yelled, "Why didn't you tell me you were a prince –"

"Well, technically I'm not _a _prince_, _but _the _prince." He couldn't help but smile. "I'm _it_. There's only one." The exasperated growl that escaped her throat surprised him. No one had ever reacted that way before. Most girls would literally throw themselves at him. However, Elphaba was not like most girls. "What's wrong?"

"I can't go with you now!"

"Why not?!"

The sharp look she gave him made him feel very uncomfortable. Devastated, she threw her arms in the air. "Because! What will people say?! You're _the_ prince. You go away for a little while and then you bring home a pregnant girl. People will assume –"

"Then let them assume," he told her softly. It was hard to yell at her. He just couldn't do it. He would not cause her anymore pain.

His tone and reply took her by surprise. She wondered if anyone had ever been this nice to her before, and she found it nearly impossible to look him in the eye. "My father is the Governor of Munchkinland and he didn't want me. Why would you?"

"I'm not your father, Elphaba. I like you... a lot," he had said it so softly he wasn't sure she heard him, but then he caught the flush that spread across her cheeks, and he knew she had. Suddenly, something clicked in his mind. _"_Wait. _You're _the Governor's daughter? I knew he had one, but I thought her name was… oh what was it? Rose or was it Nessie?"

She looked slightly confused, and then he saw the pain flash across her eyes. "Nessarose. She's my younger sister."

Fiyero's breath caught. His father had told him many stories about the Governor of Munchkinland, but never had he mentioned a second daughter. Had his father forgot to mention her, or did the Governor of Munchkinland pretend she didn't exist? Fiyero clutched his fist in anger. No wonder she hated her family so much. The sympathy he felt for her was too big to comprehend. Gently, he kneeled down in front of her. "I will not abandon you. Not everyone is as cruel as your father, Elphaba. Please come with me."

"I don't know." She gently placed both of her hands on her stomach. "I'm going to slow you down…"

"Good." She looked up at him, bemused, and he couldn't help but chuckle. "I don't want to go home. You have no idea what it's like to be the heir. It's madness."

"I could only imagine…"

Gently, he placed a hand on hers and gave her a soft squeeze. "But you'll come?" She nodded, somewhat grimly, and then a smile lit her face. "What?" he asked.

"I felt the baby…" she told him, dazed. Her eyes were sparkling and it made Fiyero jump for joy.

"Can I… may I feel?" he asked sheepishly. For a moment, she looked baffled. Probably, wondering _why_ he wanted to touch her. He was almost positive she was going to say no, but to his surprise she took his hand and placed it on her bulging belly.

"Do you feel it?"

"Yes," he lied. He felt absolutely nothing, but he desperately wanted to keep that smile on her face. And it worked. She gave him the most beautiful smile he had ever seen, and Fiyero could have sworn he had just died and gone to heaven.

--

Elphaba stared dreamingly at the white horse in front of her. "Figures," she mumbled under her breath.

"What?"

She hesitated and then somewhat reluctantly, she told him, "You're a prince and you just happen to have a white stallion."

Fiyero flashed his most charming smile at her. "There's no other way," he joked.

Elphaba rolled her eyes, and not intending for him to hear her, she mumbled softly, "It's like you escaped from a fairytale or something."

She had said it so quietly, he almost missed it. However, knowing that she would get uncomfortable, he pretended like he hadn't heard a thing. "What was that?"

"Oh nothing." She blushed and then quickly, she changed the subject, "He's so pretty."

"Yeah. he is."

"Does he talk?" Elphaba questioned as she slowly walked up to the white horse.

Fiyero shook his head sadly. "No. I wish he did, though."

Elphaba laughed as the horse nuzzled at her head. "What's his name?"

"Spirit."

"It suites him."

He nodded, and then somehow his blue eyes found her copper ones. To his surprise she didn't break eye contact, and in that moment he knew.

"Well, I think that's everything," came Avaric's cheerful voice.

Immediately, Elphaba broke the trance, and Fiyero couldn't help but shoot Avaric a murderous look.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Avaric smiled. "Okay. Let's go." Very eager to get home, Avaric jumped on his horse and impatiently waited for his companions.

"Here Elphaba." He held out his jacket for her and she gave it an incredulous look. Fiyero rolled his eyes. "You can't wear just that dress. You'll freeze!"

"Won't you be cold?"

Fiyero shrugged. "No," he lied.

"I don't want it."

Annoyed, he walked over to where she was standing and gently, he shoved it into her hands. "You can't freeze to death."

"Neither can you."

"I'll be fine." He pouted. "Please put it on…"

Elphaba sighed, but nevertheless, she gave in. Despite her protest, she was in fact, very cold, so when she put the oversized coat on, her anger vanished. It practically swallowed her, but it was so warm she didn't care.

Without asking he helped her button up the coat. "Now, don't you look cute?" He couldn't help but pinch her cheeks.

She glared at him, and he smiled. "Okay. Let's go, Casanova."

Fiyero raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Never mind."

He gave her a full hearted smile, and in one quick motion he lifted her onto his horse. He felt her tense as he got on too. However, he ignored it and firmly, he wrapped his arms around her. "We can't let you fall," he whispered in her ear. She nodded and then to his surprise she relaxed. He smiled.

He was looking forward to the long journey ahead of them.


	6. Chapter 6

**I read chapter 5 in ****Lady Tiggular****'s ****story Beauty… (Great story btw. I highly recommend it)… and she mentioned something about how romantic snow is and it's so true. So I re-wrote some of this chapter. **

* * *

**Chapter 6**

_Can you feel the love tonight?  
The peace the evening brings  
The world, for once, in perfect harmony  
With all its living things  
Can you feel the love tonight?  
You needn't look too far  
Stealing through the night's uncertainties  
Love is where they are_

Fiyero held Elphaba tightly to him. She had fallen asleep in his arms a couple of hours ago, and he had no intentions of waking her. Her head rested against his chest, and it was very tempting to lean down and kiss her on the forehead. Somehow, he managed to retain himself. Instead, he let one of his hands rest against her stomach. It was odd to care about an unborn child so much; especially one that wasn't his. Maybe, he was just fascinated by the whole pregnancy thing. After all, (to him) it was very hard to believe that a person could fit in there.

"Let's stop here," came Avaric's voice. It sounded so far away, and yet his friend was only two feet ahead of him.

"What about the snow? We can't sleep here."

Avaric shrugged. "That never stopped us before."

"What about Elphaba?"

"The nearest town is miles away. She'll be fine," Avaric assured. "We have a tent, and we can always build a fire."

Fiyero grumbled angrily, not liking the idea in the slightest bit. If she got frost bite it was Avaric's fault. Sighing, he nudged the sleeping Elphaba awake. She stirred slightly, and then slowly her eyes blinked open. She seemed really confused and disoriented, so to ease her state of mind he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "You fell asleep."

"I told you not to let that happen!" she mumbled sternly, but tiredly.

He chuckled as he helped her off the horse. "Well, everyone needs their beauty sleep." He was only joking, but just in case she took it the wrong way, he added, "Not that you need it."

Instead of the blush he'd imagined he would see, Elphaba's eyes grew cross and very angrily she told him, "You shouldn't tell lies, Fiyero." She sulked off, but Fiyero caught her wrist and pulled her back to him. "Fiyero, let me go…"

He loosened his grip, but he didn't release his hold on her. "I'm not lying."

The truth behind his words made her sick. No one had ever told her that she was beautiful before and meant it. Silently, she searched his eyes for any signs of doubt, but to her disappointment she found none. She lowered her eyes, ashamed by the truth of his words.

"You are beautiful, Elphaba. In every way possible."

--

It was a whole two hours before Elphaba finally spoke to him again. Fiyero wasn't sure what her problem was. He had simply told her she was beautiful and she got all angry at him. Why? He wasn't sure. He knew she had self-esteem issues, but it had never occurred to him that she thought _that _little of herself. Yes, they were definitely going to have to work on that.

"Would you like some more soup?" he questioned her. She was sitting next to him with three blankets wrapped around her frail body. Fiyero had practically yelled at Avaric for not letting them stay at a hotel, but Elphaba had assured him that she was fine. She looked cold to him. That wasn't fine. So to make _himself_ feel better, he had wrapped her in three blankets and built a big fire. She had told him it wasn't necessary. He had thought otherwise.

"No thank you."

Fiyero frowned. "But you're eating for two! Are you sure you're not hungry? There's plenty here." She bit her lip, fighting the urge to give in. Fiyero rolled his eyes and grabbed her bowl. "Here." He poured the rest of the soup into it. "I know you're hungry."

"Thank you," she told him softly.

"Are you cold?"

Elphaba glared at him. "If you ask me that one more time I'm going to throw this bowl at your head."

"I was just asking."

She couldn't help but smirk, and not liking the subject centered on her, she changed it, "So how long will it take to get back to your home?"

"A couple of days," Avaric told her. Both, Fiyero and Elphaba, turned to look at him. They had completely forgotten he was there.

"Oh."

"Yup." A silence spread over them; however, it was broken when Avaric piped up, "Are you done?"

Elphaba looked into her bowl. "Oh yes…" Somewhat reluctantly she handed Avaric the empty container. It was odd letting other people do things for her.

They both watched as Avaric disappeared into the tent, and though, neither would admit it, they were both thankful that he was gone.

"What are you doing?"

Fiyero reached for the sky. "I'm stretching." Suddenly, he was brought back to reality when he felt something cold and wet hit his back. He turned around to see Elphaba armed with a snowball. "What was that for?" he asked.

Elphaba stifled a laugh. "I have always wanted to do that," she told him as she sent another snowball flying his way. It hit his head.

"Hey! You asked for it." He quickly made his own snowball and threw it at her.

She let out an uncharacteristic shriek and quickly she ran to hide behind a tree.

"You're cheating," Fiyero accused as he ran after her. He grabbed another handful of snow and crept to where she was hiding. "Elp –fae –ba," he pronounced each syllable of her name. "Come out. Come –" Suddenly, she came out and jumped on him. Since Fiyero was not prepared for the sudden attack, he lost his balance and sent them both to the ground. He could hear her laughing and when he opened his eyes he suddenly became aware of how close they were. She was lying on top of him and their mouths were inches apart. It was the perfect moment to kiss her, but before he could she rolled off him. He groaned inwardly, but laughed when he saw her beginning to make a snow angel.

"I can't remember the last time I had this much fun," she told him dazed.

Fiyero wondered if she realized what she had just said. Probably not. It hurt him that she couldn't remember the last time she had fun. What kind of sick childhood had she had? In that moment he wanted to hug and kiss her problems away, but he knew she wouldn't like the idea very much. A sudden flicker of light caught his eye. He looked up and gasped. "Elp… Fae…" he smiled at his new nickname for her. "Look, there's a shooting star."

Her eyes sparkled. "It's pretty." And then she turned her head to look at him. "What did you call me?"

"Fae…" he told her sheepishly. "The second syllable in your name."

"The second syllable in my name is fa. Not Fae," she told him bluntly.

Fiyero shrugged. "Fae sounds better."

"Hmm." She bit her lip, probably deciding if she liked it or not. However, she never commented any further. Instead, her eyes lit up again. "Oh look. There's another one."

Fiyero quickly found her hand and squeezed it. "Make a wish," he whispered.

She wrapped her other hand around her stomach and silently he wondered what she had just wished for. He was just about to ask, but to his surprise she told him, "It's a secret. Don't ask."

He smirked. "Fine. Then I won't tell you mine. It's a good one too."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm still not telling."

Fiyero pouted, and without warning a pile of snow hit him square in the face. It took him a moment to realize what she had just done. "Oh… you are so going to get it…"

Elphaba laugh as she got up and started to run for the tent. He didn't hesitate to chase after her.

--

"Do you believe in love at first sight?"

"Absolutely not." Avaric raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"No reason." Fiyero's eyes flickered to the tent where Elphaba was sleeping. She had fallen asleep sometime ago, but Fiyero and Avaric had stayed up to watch the fire burn out. Avaric had scoffed at him for making the fire so big, but he had just ignored him. After all, it had made Elphaba warm and that was all that matter.

"You know..." Avaric interrupted his thoughts. "You're parents won't let her stay."

Fiyero scrunched his eyebrows together in anger. He already knew this, and he didn't need Avaric pointing that out to him. His parents were strict and they followed their culture very seriously. And he definitely knew that they would not think highly of Elphaba. Not because she was green, but because she was pregnant and unmarried. It was a disgrace in his culture.

"I know." However, he had a plan and Elphaba probably wasn't going to like it.

Avaric saw the look in his eyes. "What are you thinking?"

"Nothing…"

"Oh no. I see that look in your eyes, Fiyero," Avaric scoffed. "You don't have to tell me. Just don't do anything stupid."

Fiyero smirked, and quietly he told him, "I'm going to tell my parents that the child is mine."

"_What?_" Avaric hissed. "Are you serious? Your parents are going to flip."

"But they'll let her stay… with me."

Avaric ran his hands through his hair. "This is a very bad idea. They're not stupid, Fiyero. When the child is born it won't bear any resemblance to you. Ever think of that?"

Fiyero shrugged. "That's like four months away. I'll deal with that when the time comes."

"You really are stupid."

"Just don't tell Elphaba. Okay?"

"Why?" Avaric laughed. "Shouldn't she know about your precious plan? After all, it's her child."

Fiyero shook his head. "No. I don't think she'll like it."

"Because she's smart and will know it's a very,_ very_ bad idea."

"Just don't tell her. Please?"

"Fine."

"Thanks, Avaric. I could always count –" Fiyero was cut off by the blood-curling scream that came from the tent where Elphaba was sleeping.


	7. Chapter 7

**This chapter is very angst. Deals with mention of rape. Just a warning, because I know that stuff bothers some people. **

**Thanks for all your reviews! It means a lot. **

* * *

**Chapter 7**

_If only it were true,  
If only for a while_

_If only you would notice  
How I ache behind my smile_

_But if I never find a way to tell you so,  
Oh, what I would give  
If only you could know_

Fiyero raced for the tent with only one thought penetrating his mind. Elphaba. When he had heard her scream – that awful heart wrenching scream – his heart had shattered into a million pieces. That awful scream would be drilled into his mind forever, and it made him sick. The fact that he hadn't been there…no… the fact that he _should_ have been there sent him into a world of hysterics. He didn't know what had caused her to scream out in the way she had, but whatever it was, he knew he should have been there for her. His fears for her were too big to comprehend.

If felt like an eternity before he finally reached the tent, when in fact, it had only been five seconds. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but he knew it wasn't this. She was fine. She was just having a nightmare.

He knelt down next to her. "Fae, wake up." He shook her, but she continued to thrash about with tears flowing freely down her cheeks. "Fae." He shook her more violently, urgently. "Wake up!"

Her sudden jolt nearly knocked him unconscious. "Ow!" he howled as their heads collided into each other. He gripped his forehead in pain. Oz, that hurt! How hard was her head? He wondered if being smart actually made your head stronger, but he felt stupid for even thinking such a thing. Fiyero opened his eyes. He had expected her to be laughing at his pain, but to his surprise she was… _cowering. _"Fae?"

Elphaba was rolled up in a ball in the corner of the tent with her head in her hands. "Leave me alone… stop… please...," she sobbed.

Her cries literally broke his heart. Something was wrong, but he wasn't sure what. "Fae… what's the matter?" He moved closer to her, but she just screamed at him.

"Stop! Don't come any closer!"

Fiyero froze. He didn't want to hurt her. It was the last thing he wanted to do. "It was just a nightmare, Fae."

However, she didn't appear to be listening. It was like her mind was in another place, another time. "Ryu," she sobbed. "Please stop…"

"Fae… it's me. Fiyero," he told her gently, softly and yet, even he could hear the pain in his voice.

It was as if his name had broken her spell. With teary eyes she looked around the tent, heaving and looking extremely disoriented. And then her eyes landed on Fiyero and without warning she threw herself at him. He wrapped his arms firmly around her and gently, he buried his head in her hair. "Hey, you're okay. It was just a nightmare…"

She shook violently against him and that deprived him to no end. This wasn't like Elphaba in the slightest bit and he was honestly worried about her. He kissed the top of her head. He wasn't sure what had possessed him to do it, but she hardly seemed to notice. Silently, he rocked her back and forth and whispered soothing words in her ear.

--

Fiyero wasn't sure how much time had passed before she finally calmed down. They were outside now, firmly wrapped in large blankets and they sat very close to the fire. Avaric had gone to bed sometime ago and Fiyero had suggested that Elphaba did the same, but to his dismay she had started to hyperventilate all over again. He immediately told her that he would stay up with her and she had agreed. Reluctantly, he had started another fire. At least they would be warm. However, she hadn't said a single word in hours and this worried him. She just sat there with a fearful look in her eyes, and no matter how hard he tried to sooth her, nothing seemed to work. She was lost in a thousands thoughts, not a single one Fiyero could guess.

Elphaba's head drooped against his shoulder and for a brief moment he thought she had fallen asleep, but then he heard her raspy voice, "Fiyero…"

"Yes…?"

The silence was deadly, and Fiyero wondered if she was ever going to break it. Luckily, he didn't have to wait long.

Her voice was etched with fear. "I don't think I can have this baby."

"What? Fae, I know you're scared, but the baby is not going to wait –"

"No, Fiyero. I don't think I _want_ the baby…" she stifled a sob and ignored the baby's sharp kick of protest to her side.

Fiyero starred at her, baffled by her sudden change of mind. "Fae… I don't understand…"

"What if it looks like _it_, Fiyero," she sobbed. "Or worse, acts like _it_ too."

"What are you talking about?" his voice was soft, not in the slightest bit demanding or angry.

She pulled away from him. "I'm sorry, Fiyero," she had said it so softly, he barely even heard her.

He took that moment to really look at her, and he felt his heart break all over again. She looked so vulnerable, scared, and alone. "Hey," he pulled her back to him. "Don't apologize. You have done nothing wrong."

"I was born," she mumbled somewhat deprived, but truly believing those words.

Fiyero was angry now. "Don't say that," he told her sternly. It was the first time he had ever been harsh with her. "Don't _ever_ say that, Fae. You can't possibly believe that. If you do… then shame on you. You have every right to be here. It wouldn't be the same if you weren't." He ruffled her hair, somewhat playfully. "I would be lost without you, Fae."

She shifted uncomfortably. "Fiyero…"

"No, Fae. I don't know what's going on in that pretty little head of yours, but whatever it is… you can tell me." Gently, he placed a hand on her bulging stomach. "And, you are not alone. I'm going to help you with the baby."

Elphaba let the tears she had been holding back fall and angrily she pushed his hand off her stomach. "I don't –"

"Why the sudden change of mind?"

She gave him a nervous look as Fiyero watched her struggle with words.

"Take your time, Fae. We have all…well… forever."

She gave him a weak smile, but she still remained silent. He didn't want to push her for information, but he just needed her to tell him that she was alright.

"I trust you, Fiyero. I do."

"I know, Fae."

"I just… don't want you to be angry…"

Fiyero frowned. "Why would I be angry?"

"For telling you what I want to tell you… you don't deserve it."

"Tell me. Please?"

Elphaba looked away from him, and he almost didn't hear her whisper, "I had nightmare."

He laid in silence, not speaking until he thought it was necessary.

"It's the same nightmare. It always is," she shuddered

"What happened?"

She got this far away look in her eyes. It was as if she was off somewhere else, completely forgetting that he was even there. And then her face twisted in disgusted, with fear. He watched as Elphaba closed her eyes, remembering that awful night. Sighing, he squeezed her hand and her eyes fluttered open.

"This boy…it_…_ _he _sat next to me in science. He was always so mean to me. Called me names, tripped me in the hall, and so on…" she dropped her eyes shyly.

"What's his name? I'll give him a good beating," Fiyero half-joked.

She gave him a weak smile, but continued with her story. "One day we had this project to do, and our teacher assigned us as partners. I was so infuriated. I had asked her if I could do it by myself, but my teacher refused." She paused for a long moment, before continuing. "I went over to his house the next day to work on it and… and..."

Fiyero jumped in. He could clearly see that she wasn't ready to tell him. He would wait. "Fae, it's okay." He buried his head in her hair. "You don't have to tell me."

"But I want to," she gasped, suddenly. "I need to tell _someone._ Maybe if I tell someone… the nightmares will go away…_" _

He nodded, and softly he took her hand in his hand and kissed the back of it. "Take your time then."

Elphaba fiddled with the tattered edges of the blanket. "…We were working on the project… and he kept…staring at me…"

Fiyero inhaled sharply. He didn't like where this story was going. "You don't have –

But she was so wrapped up in the past, she hardly heard him. "He wanted to show me something in his bedroom." She winced at the memory. "I told him no, but somehow… I ended up there… and before… before I knew what was happening…_ it_... Ryu… he…" she broke off in silent tears, and Fiyero remained still as a statue. "He was so strong. I tried to get him off me... but I couldn't.

He had never expected it. Not a clue. He could feel the anger building up within him, and he wasn't sure he would be able to retain it. For the first time he understood why people killed others. It had never made any sense to him before, but now he knew he could do it. If he ever saw this 'Ryu' he would surely kill the bastard with his own hands and no one would be able to stop him. Oz, he was gong to end up in prison. Fiyero pulled Elphaba closer to him. She was worth it.

"It was the only time I felt he had any feelings besides hatred for me," she forced out.

Fiyero wasn't sure what to say after that. No amount of words or hugs could possibly make her forget.

"Fiyero…" she wrapped her arms around her bulging stomach. "I don't know what I'm going to do. I... I care so much about the child, but at the same time…"

He made a mental note of how she avoided using the word love, and he wondered why. "Fae, it's your choice, but whatever you chose I'll be by your side. Every step of the way."

Elphaba nodded, and gently she buried her head in his chest. She felt safe in his arms and protected. A feeling very unfamiliar to her, and yet she didn't care. She knew he would never hurt her. Fiyero wasn't that type of person.

Fiyero just held her. An hour must have passed before he felt her starting to fade away. However, he knew she was trying to fight it. "Fae," he whispered. "Go to sleep."

"Fiyero," she chocked out. "I see him when I close my eyes. I remember what he did."

"He can't hurt you anymore, Fae. I'll protect you. Now sleep."

"I know, but –"

"I'm here for you, Fae," he told her gently.

Subconsciously she asked, "Always?"

"No, Fae. Forever."

* * *

**Sorry if Elphaba was OOC, but I have trouble writing her sometimes. Probably, because I'm the complete opposite of her. And I know the ending was so cliché and Elphaba probably wouldn't have asked that, but it's my story and I couldn't help myself. Lol **


	8. Chapter 8

**I was watching Friends. The episode where Carol is pregnant and Ross sings/talks to her belly. Haha. After I watched it I wrote this chapter. **

**And for some unknown reason the song from Hercules is stuck in my head XD **

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**Chapter 8**

_No chance, no way  
I won't say it, no, no _

_It's too cliché  
I won't say I'm in love_

Three days later the weather had significantly warmed and they were only a few miles from his home. By tomorrow they would surely reach their destination, and that deprived Fiyero to no end. He didn't want to go home to a world full of politics and crap. He wanted to spend time with Elphaba. Now, he found himself cherishing every moment he spent with her. After she had told him about her awful… story… he made sure that she was always within his sight. It was as if his world had suddenly flipped and _he_ wasn't the center of it anymore. His world revolved around her now. She had taken his place and he didn't care in the slightest bit. He felt a need to protect her, care for her, and simply love her. Of course, he wouldn't tell her this, though, he expected she already knew. There was this unspoken energy between them, and he could easily read her like a book, as she could with him.

They were attached at the hip, or _he _was attached to _her _hip. Sometimes, she would get angry or annoyed with him, but he simply smiled or made a joke and she would forget whatever it was that had annoyed her. Fiyero loved the fact that he was the one that made her smile and sometimes, even a good hearted laugh.

It was now, that he realized _he _wasn't the one making that beautiful sound escape from her throat, but someone else was. He felt, for the first time, the horrible stab of envy pierce his heart. Who was making her laugh? A laugh was rare for her. Even he had trouble getting her to do it, and he was suddenly mad at whoever had accomplished his everyday goal. Fiyero's eyes fluttered open, but was immediately blinded by the sun. He closed them, and slowly blinked them back open.

It was hot enough now to sleep outside without a tent, and though it was rather warm, Fiyero still slept in a sleeping bag. Quickly, he stumbled out of it and searched around for her. At first he didn't see anything, but then he heard that beautiful laugh of hers again. He darted around and froze in shock.

Elphaba had both of her hands on her back with her stomach shoved out in front of her. Avaric was kneeling in front of her with both of his hands on her belly. For moment, he just stared at them and then his jaw dropped when Avaric started to _sing. _He was good to, and that made Fiyero angrier. Since when could Avaric sing? It was a parody of a song he recognized, but couldn't place the name, and Elphaba was laughing at every verse. Groggily, Fiyero walked over to them.

"When did you learn how to sing?" Fiyero questioned Avaric.

Avaric turned to Fiyero, but didn't take his hands off of Elphaba's pregnant belly. "Since I was two."

Fiyero felt the sudden urge to punch Avaric shamelessly. Instead, he gritted his teeth together and said, "How come I've never heard you sing before?"

"You never asked."

Elphaba smiled. "Thank you. I'm sure he enjoyed it."

"Anytime. I'll be right back. I'm sure you're hungry. I'll get breakfast started." Silently, he got up and walked over to where the fire was burning.

Fiyero pressed his lips together and quickly sat next to her on the old log. A thousands thoughts and questions were streaming through his head, and not one did he know how to begin. Stupidly, he went with. "He?"

"What?" she asked confused. He glanced at her stomach and then she blushed. "Oh… I didn't realize I said he. It could very well be a she." She smiled at him, clearly in a good mood, but then she frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Oh… you look upset."

He was, but how could he tell her that he was jealous? How could he tell her that he didn't want her to talk to Avaric ever again? He was overacting, he knew, but he couldn't stand the fact that she was laughing with Avaric and not him. Why was Avaric singing to her in the first place? He scoffed inwardly. Not taking the silence any longer, he blurted out, "Why was Avaric singing to you?"

"Oh… he said that the baby can hear people. At first I didn't believe him, but then he started to talk and sing to it, and I felt the baby move," she told him. "I know it sounds silly but I think the baby enjoyed it."

"Can I try," Fiyero asked eagerly. Surely, if Avaric did it, so could he. Her eyes widened in surprise, but nevertheless, she nodded. Fiyero smiled nervously and slowly he knelt between her legs. He felt her stiffen, but he ignored it. He knew he was a lot closer to her than Avaric had been, but he couldn't help himself. Gently, he placed his hands on her stomach and stupidly he said, "Hi." Elphaba stifled a laugh and he looked up with worried eyes. "Am I doing it wrong?"

"No…" she laughed again. "You sound so nervous."

"I feel silly."

"Just because Avaric did it doesn't mean you have to."

As soon as she said those words Fiyero broke out into a conversation with her stomach. Fiyero wasn't going to let Avaric win her heart over. "Well, let me start with how I met your mom. I was riding heroically through the Gillikin Forest…"

Elphaba suddenly adopted a high pitched parody of a girl's voice. "Oh, Yero my hero!" she fell against him in mock swoon.

Fiyero glared at her as he gently pushed her off of him. "Shut-up." He smirked and then immediately returned to her belly. "Anywho…

--

Elphaba wasn't sure how much time had passed, but she knew it was a lot, and Fiyero was _still _talking to her belly. Now, she was the one who felt silly. At first, she thought it was cute, but now she wanted to push him away. He was getting on her last nerve. She had tiredly listened to him talk about how he had met her, his family, how he couldn't wait for the child to be born, and so on. Now, he was talking about all seventeen years of his life. It was nice to know about Fiyero's past, but she seriously didn't need to know _every _little detail.

"…but on my fourteenth birthday I got this huge –"

"Fiyero!" she cut him off. If she heard one more birthday she was going to punch him.

"What?"

"Are you almost done?" she yawned.

"Are you board?" he asked sheepishly.

She was about to say yes, but the way he looked at her made her heart melt. His puppy dog look was so heartbreaking. "Maybe you could try something else." She bit her lip.

"Like what?"

Elphaba smiled wickedly at him. "You could…sing." She raised her eyebrows.

"No."

"Why?"

He blushed. "I'm not very good."

Elphaba frowned slightly, but then a thought occurred to her. _Maybe…_"Avaric did it."

Fiyero stared at her for a long moment before breaking out into a tune. It was a song he made up himself and he was no where near as good as Avaric's voice was. In fact he was horrible, but Fiyero continued to sing and Elphaba smiled like it was the best sound she had ever heard.

"I can't wait to meet you little baby," Fiyero sang off pitch. "I'll teach you everything I know. I'll love you. Yes I will. I'll love –" Fiyero stopped abruptly, frozen by Elphaba's sudden change of expression. One minute she was laughing her heart out and the next, she was clutching her belly with her eyes shut tight. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know…" she stuttered.

His eyes grew huge, suddenly worried. "Are you okay? Does anything hurt?"

Heaving and looking extremely disoriented, her eyes fluttered open, but then a smile lit her face. "I'm fine."

Fiyero didn't believe her. Frantically, he started to search around for Avaric or _anyone_, but no one was in sight. He suddenly felt very sick. The nearest town was his home village and that was hours away. "Fae… everything is going to be okay."

She grabbed his hand. "I'm fine, Fiyero."

"You should see a doctor. I knew this journey wouldn't be good for you." He cursed inwardly.

"Fiyero!" she suddenly yelled. He turned to her and she smiled at him. "I'm really fine. I had this… this… vision." She blushed.

"A vision?" he raised an eyebrow. He had heard of witch craft and sorcery, but he had never believed in it. To him, it was all a load of crap. But then again, Elphaba never failed to surprise him.

She dropped her eyes to her stomach. "But I don't think… it was mine."

He stared at her in disbelief. Could it be? However, he didn't really believe it, but he didn't want to upset her. "What did you see?"

"I don't know. It was weird," she told him, dazed. "It's hard to explain, but I felt _excited_, _happy_."

Fiyero frowned. "You weren't happy before?"

"No… I was, but this was different. I don't know," she told him, agitation sneaking into her voice. "It never happened before. It was like I could_ see_ happiness."

He just blinked at her.

Elphaba sighed as she slowly traced circles on her stomach. "I think the baby loves you," she finally concluded. "I think it _really_ loves you."

Fiyero couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. "Of course it does. Who doesn't?" he joked.

A smile tugged at the corner of her lips, and suddenly she wanted to feel and see that vision again. It was like she had caught a glimpse of the baby's thoughts. Of course, it was far fetched and sounded absurd, and she knew Fiyero didn't believe her, but she knew what she saw. And then a cruel thought hit her hard and her smile vanished. "Oh Oz!"

"What?"

"It's going to be like me. The baby. It's going to be just like _me_." It had never occurred to her that it might look_ and_ act like her. She had been so worried about the baby looking like the father, but she had never thought about it looking like her. She felt sick and suddenly she didn't know which was worse; looking like her or the father. She shuddered, knowing that neither would be ideal.

"Fae, calm down." Fiyero gripped her shoulders to stop her shaking. "Slow down. Take a deep breath." She did. "Now what's bothering you?"

"The baby might look like me."

He starred at her, confused. "You act like that's a bad thing."

She glared at him. "It is."

"No. It's not. Are you worried that it'll be emerald?"

Elphaba nodded, but that wasn't the only thing she was worried about. What if it had her… skills or temper? Sometimes she couldn't control it and something absurd would happen. Something she couldn't explain. The other kids had teased her and tortured her with cruel words and pranks. She didn't want the same for her child. "It's _everything_, Fiyero."

She dropped her eyes, but Fiyero lifted her chin right back up. "Fae, when will you learn that you are perfect in every way?"

She glared at him, but for the first time she didn't argue.

* * *

**The baby won't be born for awhile, but I'm not really sure what to name the child and I don't want to pick a name everyone hates. I don't want Fae or Liir either. I want something original. **

**I was thinking Kali for a girl and Tyson for a boy. **

**No she's not having twins. I just haven't decided the gender yet. **

**What do you guys think? Have any ideas for names? **


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks to everyone who suggested names! and thanks for all of your reviews. **

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**Chapter 9**

_Never knew I could feel like this  
Like I've never seen the sky before  
Want to vanish inside your kiss  
Everyday I love you more and more  
Listen to my heart, can you hear it sings  
Telling me to give you everything  
Seasons may change winter to spring  
But I love you until the end of time_

Elphaba stared timidly at the huge castle walls that stood before her. Over their journey, she had convinced herself that Fiyero (Oz knew why) actually wanted her and that his parents would welcome her with open arms. However, now that she was here, she was considering backing out, but she knew she couldn't. Not now. She closed her eyes in an attempt to clear her mind, but it didn't help. Instead, she tried breathing in the warm air and it helped a little, but she was still nervous. What if they hated her? What if they didn't want her to stay? Would Fiyero help her? So many questions were running through her head, it almost hurt.

She was brought back to reality when she felt Fiyero's strong arms wrap around her from behind. And as if he could read her thought's he whispered in her ear, "Stop worrying. They'll love you." Elphaba's only reply was a false smile. Fiyero tugged at her hand. "Come on."

Elphaba let him pull her down a stone pathway and it wasn't until they passed the front gates, was she aware that Fiyero wasn't taking her through the front doors. "Fiyero, where are we going?"

"One of the back doors. I don't want my family to know I'm home yet."

"Why?"

"They'll bombard me with questions," he chuckled. "They always do when I return. They mean well, but sometimes I just want to be left alone. Especially, after a long journey. I always go through the back."

She nodded, but she still had the odd feeling that he was lying to her. "What about Avaric? Shouldn't we wait for him?"

"No," Fiyero told her. "He took the horses to the stables."

Elphaba bit her lip, fighting the urge to ask the one question that had been bothering her the most. Sighing, she gave in and asked, "What if your family doesn't like me?"

He stopped suddenly and let out an exasperated sigh. Slowly, he turned to her and cupped her face with his hand. "They'll love you, Fae. How couldn't they?" She had a million answers to that, but she remained silent for his sake. Fiyero ignored her grimace. "Especially my sister, Kara. She tells me all the time that I should have been a girl." Fiyero shook his head sadly, and Elphaba forced out a laugh. "She's probably waiting for us now."

Fiyero was right. Kara was waiting for her older brother's return and when she saw him she gave him a big hug. Elphaba stood in the shadows as she watched them reunite. Suddenly, she felt alone and not wanted. Kara was everything she wasn't. Long blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and an award winning pixie smile. Was this the type of girl Fiyero's parents wanted him to date?

Fiyero's voice brought her back. "How'd you hold up?"

"You have no idea!" Kara told him annoyed.

"It couldn't have been that bad."

"Yes it was!" Kara threw her hands up in the air. "It's _so_ boring. Mom and Dad ignored me the whole time, and when they did talk to me it was a complaint. You should have taken me with you."

Fiyero frowned. "You know I wasn't aloud."

Kara placed her hands on her hips and in a mock imitation of their mother she joked, "It's not safe for a young girl!"

Fiyero laughed. "Maybe next year."

Kara pouted, but then her face lit up when she spotted Elphaba. The first thing that came to her mind was, _green skin. How odd_. She was going to say something about it, but decided against it. "Oh," she said brightly, and then more graceful than Elphaba thought possible, the young girl danced over to her. "I'm Kara."

Elphaba hesitated for a moment. It was odd seeing hints of Fiyero in the young girl's face. Anyone who didn't know them could easily guess that they were siblings. "Elphaba."

"It's very nice to meet you. Fiyero's never brought home –" she stopped abruptly when her eyes landed on Elphaba's very large stomach. Kara quickly flickered her gaze to Fiyero and then back to Elphaba. Drawing a conclusion in her head, she turned to her brother and angrily shouted at him, "Fiyero! What have you–?"

Kara screeched in protest as Fiyero clamped a hand over his sister's mouth. "Ignore her," he told Elphaba. "She's only twelve." Elphaba dropped her eyes shyly, but not before Fiyero saw the pain flash across them.

"Maybe this wasn't a good idea…" Elphaba began.

Kara somehow managed to struggle out of her brother's strong grip. She scoffed angrily and then turned back to Elphaba. "It probably wasn't –"

"Kara!" Fiyero hissed.

"But," she continued. "I'm glad you came. It's _so _boring here. Our parents are always to busy with Fiyero. Now, I'll have someone to talk to. Someone who isn't my brother. " Her face suddenly lit up. "Ooh! We'll be like sisters!"

Elphaba tried not to grimace. She didn't want another sister to take care of, but nevertheless, she put on a false smile for the young girl. "That would be nice."

Fiyero ran a hand through his hair, sighing inwardly. "Kara could you please show Elphaba where my room is? I need to go talk to Mom and Dad."

Kara raised an eyebrow. "_Your _room?"

Fiyero frowned. "Or your room," he snapped. "Just take her somewhere where she can rest and bathe." Quickly, he walked over to Elphaba's side and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'll be right back. Kara will show you where everything is."

Elphaba nodded and miserably, she watched the only person she trusted disappear down the hall.

--

Elvira gave a full hearted smile as she watched her son enter the room. "Fiyero," she said lovingly. "You're home."

Fiyero hugged her and gave a quick kiss on her cheek. "It's good to be home, Mom," he lied. Being home was the last thing he wanted to do. In his mind, the _only_ thing his parents cared about were politics and their heir, which was him.

"Come," she tugged his arm and reluctantly, Fiyero followed. "Your father is in the study." They entered another large room. "Ather, Fiyero is home."

Ather looked up and smiled. "Son," he held out his arms and pulled the carbon copy of himself into a long hug. It amazed him how much his son looked like him. "It's good to see you. How was your trip?"

Fiyero's mind flashed to Elphaba and a smile toyed at his lips. "Is there a word _better_ than fantastic or wonderful?"

Both of his parents laughed. "But surely you missed us?"

"Of course." Strangely, it wasn't a lie.

Elvira gracefully took a seat on the couch and patted the spot next to her. "Tell us about your trip. We want to know everything."

Fiyero ran his hands through his hair. It was now or never. "Everything? Good." He took a deep breath. "Because that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

Ather turned to his wife, very amused. "He's serious."

"I know," she half laughed. "It must be important."

Fiyero couldn't believe it. This was all a joke to them. "It is. You might want to sit down." He blushed when he realized that they already were. "Ok. Well I met this girl and I brought her home with –"

"You brought a girl home?" his mother cut in.

Fiyero nodded. "Yes, but –"

"Well it's about time," his father teased. "You're nearly eighteen! That's when your mom and I got married."

"Please!" he told them sternly. "Let me finish. Please."

There smiles vanished when they saw the anxiety playing across their son's face. Immediately, Elvira became tensed and worried. "Fiyero, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

In that moment he felt sorry for every pregnant teen. Nothing could be more fearful and stressful than telling your parents that you're going to have a baby. Was this what Elphaba felt when she told her father? For a brief moment he thought about backing out. Was Avaric right? Was his plan stupid? _No, _he thought. It was better for Elphaba. He wasn't going to let her down. Besides, the baby needed a father. "I'm going to be a daddy."

--

"You can use my bathroom," Kara told Elphaba. "Fiyero's smells like a boy."

Elphaba couldn't help but chuckle. "Thank you."

"A servant should be up in a few minutes to fill the tub. You can sit down while you wait… if you want."

Hesitantly, Elphaba sat down on the girl's queen sized bed. For some unexplained reason she felt nervous. Why? She wasn't sure. Sighing, she looked around the room, trying to take her mind off of things. However, it only made things worse. There was no way she would fit in here. Kara's room was the ideal room for a little girl who longed to be a princess. But then again, Kara _was _one. Elphaba was no princess. The little voice inside her head kept screaming, _You fool! You don't belong here._

Kara spotted her looking around her room. "Do you like it?"

"Yes," she lied.

"I hate it," she told her bluntly.

Elphaba dropped her eyes. "Oh. Why is that?"

"It's pink, fluffy, and _way _to cheerful."

"It is. I'm not going to lie." Elphaba played with the tattered edges of her long sleeved dress.

Kara sighed and flung herself on the bed next to Elphaba. "I really hate pink. I wanted it to be… never mind." She blushed, and faster than Elphaba could think, Kara changed the subject, "I guess I'm going to be an Aunt."

Elphaba silently wondered if there was an 'off' button on the girl. She just wouldn't stop moving and talking. However, despite Kara's annoying habits, Elphaba was grateful for the company. "What?"

"The baby…"

"Oh," Elphaba placed her hands on her stomach. "It's not Fiyero's."

"Oh. Who's is it?"

"It's… complicated."

The room went silent after that, neither girl knew what to say.

--

Ather slammed his hand on the table, making his wife and Fiyero jump. "Damn it, Fiyero! How could you let this happen?"

Fiyero took a step back. For the first time, he was afraid of his father and for his life. After his parents recoiled from their shock, he had told them everything he knew about Elphaba. For a moment, he thought they were actually happy, but then they broke out of their spells and started to shout at him. "It's not like I planned it," he told them defensively. He failed miserably.

"I just don't understand where I went wrong," Elvira forced back tears, which literally broke Fiyero's heart. He had never meant to make his mother cry.

"I'm sorry, Mom," Fiyero apologized. "I really didn't mean –"

His father cut him off angrily, "You're not even married. Do you have any idea how much disgrace and shame you just put on our family!?"

Fiyero glared at him. "What do you want me to do?! Leave?! Cause I will. I hope Kara's ready to rule at age twelve!" he was shouting back now and he couldn't help but give his father a death glare. Did his father really care about their family name more than his own son? "Are you going to kick me out? That's what Elphaba's father did."

"He kicked her out?" Elvira asked shocked. "That poor girl."

"I'm not going to kick either of you out," Ather told him softly. "You have to understand, Fiyero. People will not take kindly to this child. They'll call it a bastard."

"It's not! I love her! " Fiyero raised his voice again. "It's not like I found some random girl on the streets and f–"

"Fiyero!" his mother scowled. "Don't _ever_ say such foul things! Don't even _think_ it!" she turned to her husband. "You too."

Fiyero dropped his eyes shyly, wondering what had possessed him to scream out in the way he had. "I'm sorry."

"I need time to think," his father grumbled angrily.

An uneasy silence spread over them and Fiyero wondered if the room was capable of suffocating him. Apparently, his mother thought the same because she was the first to say something.

"How far along is Elphaba?"

"What?"

Elvira scoffed, annoyed by her son's foolishness. "How many weeks has she been pregnant?"

"Oh. Hmm. Weeks?" He began to count in his head, but when it got to complicated he started to use his fingers. He got to ten when his mother cut him off.

"She's more than two months?"

"She's more than five months, Mom."

"_What?!" _Elvira hissed.

Ather yelled, "And you're just telling us now!?"

Fiyero shrunk back. "I thought you would get mad. Apparently, I was right."

Elvira pointed a finger at him. "Don't get smart with us!" She took a moment to breathe, but then a thought occurred to her. "Wait. When did this happen? Five months ago you were here."

"I met her in the village." It amazed him how easily he could lie to his parents. Hopefully, Elphaba would be able to do the same. "Her father and her were staying for a couple of months. I ran into her at the store. We met and talked." Fiyero smiled. "It was love at first sight."

Fiyero prayed to the unnamed God that his parents believed every word. He watched their faces and for a moment he thought his mother was going to call his bluff, but to his surprise she changed the subject.

"I would like to meet this girl." She let out an exasperated sigh. "I'll also need to give her a check up."

Fiyero paled as his mother stood up, already in doctor mood. "Mom, wait. Let me talk to Elphaba first."

"Why?"

_Because I haven't told her about my wonderful plan yet. _"Because she's really nervous to meet you guys. She thinks you won't like her." It wasn't a lie.

"I wonder why," his father mumbled sarcastically.

Fiyero ignored him. "Let her take a bath and rest first. I need to remind her that you're a doctor. She's not good around people."

Elvira nodded. "Fine."

"Yes," his father piped up. "It'll give us time to think."

Fiyero nodded and then raced out of the room. He was almost positive the room was going to swallow him whole if he stayed in there a moment longer. Once he was out in the hall and the door was closed behind him, he slumped against the nearest wall and banged his against it.

"How'd it go?" a voice asked smugly.

Fiyero opened his eyes and found a very amused Avaric staring at him. 'I told you so' was clearly written across his face. In that moment he wanted punch him, but Fiyero knew he was in enough trouble already. Instead, he just glared and angrily pushed past him. "Shut up."

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**There's a poll in my profile about which story I should write next! Please vote. **

**Don't worry though. This story has ways to go and I'm not done writing it. I just wanted an idea on what I should write next. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Fiyero's mother is kinda rude in this chapter, but don't worry she'll get better in later chapters.

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**

**Chapter 10**

_What would I give  
To live where you are?  
What would I pay  
To stay here beside you?  
What would I do to see you  
Smiling at me?_

Fiyero darted into Kara's room, fuming. If he knew his mother, and he did, she would not give him and Elphaba a long time to talk. Therefore, he had to make it fast, but how to tell Elphaba his plan, he wasn't sure. He had thought about it long and hard over the past few days, but he knew she wouldn't like it at all. But it was the only way.

"Where's Elphaba," he questioned his sister.

Kara glanced up from the book she was reading, and pointed to the closed bathroom door. "She's taking a bath." And though it was none of her business, she couldn't help but ask, "How come you didn't tell me the child is _not_ yours?"

Fiyero glared at her. He should have known Elphaba would have told Kara. "That's because the child _is_ mine."

"I think Elphaba would know who the father of her own baby is."

"She's just scared."

"I think you're lying."

He ignored the last comment. There was no point in lying to his sister. It's like she had some superpower and could tell when he was lying to her. He hated it. But then again he could always tell when she was lying. They were even. Sighing, he knocked on the bathroom door. "Fae," he spoke just loud enough for her to hear. "It's me. Can I come in?"

There was a long pause and then a simple, but very stern, "No."

He rolled his eyes. "But we need to talk."

"Can't this wait? I'm taking a bath."

Fiyero glanced over his shoulder nervously. His mother would come soon. "No. We have to talk _now_."

"Well, you're just going to have to wait," she told him, rather rude.

He couldn't wait for this. He just couldn't. "Fae, there are no locks on the doors, so on the count of three, I'm coming in," he warned. "One."

"You are sick," Kara mumbled.

He ignored her. "Two."

"Fiyero! No," Elphaba called from behind the door.

The anger in her voice was evident, but he ignored it. "Three." He opened the door with his eyes shut tight. He didn't want to hurt her in anyway, so he decided to go in with his eyes closed. Of course, he never would have opened the door in the first place, but he needed to talk to her before his mother did. "Fae?"

"Go away." She had said it so angrily it almost made him laugh.

Forgetting where he was, he opened his eyes. At first, he didn't see her, but then he caught a glimpse of her copper eyes just barely peeking over the edge of the tub. He chuckled at the sight of her surrounded by bubbles, and very causally he walked over and knelt at the tub's edge. "You like bubble baths?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Go away," was her only response. Desperately, she tried to press her breasts against the side of tub, so he couldn't see, but the damn baby bump prevented her from doing so. Instead, she angrily wrapped her arms around her. She wasn't sure why she was so angry. After all, she knew he wasn't going to hurt her in any way, but the fact that he was a man and she was naked scared her. She didn't like it one bit and she really wanted him to just leave.

"Come on, Fae. You know I'm not looking," he told her gently. Even if he tried to look he couldn't see anything. She was practically underwater. He froze at the thought of a naked Elphaba and how she was within touching distance. He blinked in an attempt to clear his mind, but failed miserably. "Besides, I need to talk to you."

"Now? Here?"

"Yes. Now. Here." He gave her a reassuring smile. "Please? I'll leave as soon as I'm done."

She let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine."

"Ok… before you get mad I want you to know that I did this for _you._"

Elphaba's eyebrows scrunched together and she eyed him suspiciously. "What did you do?"

"Well. I… I…" Suddenly, he was more afraid of her than his own parents. "I sort of…"

"Honestly, Fiyero. Just spit it out." Elphaba didn't care if she was being rude. He was evading her personal space and she wanted him out.

"I told my parents... thatthechildismine." He had said it so fast that the words came out slurred together, and Fiyero wondered if she had even understood him.

Elphaba blinked at him, and within seconds, disbelief, confusion, and anger played across her face. Her eyes were burning and Fiyero wondered if she was considering the option of killing him. "You _what_?"

"It was for you. For the baby."

"Why?" she hissed at him, disbelief sneaking into her voice. A thousand thoughts, emotions were running through her, but she couldn't seem to grasp just one.

"I think my parents will let you stay here longer –"

"But you told me they would welcome me with open arms."

He pressed his lips together and broke eye contact with her. "Look, Elphaba. Trust me. This will work out. It's for the better."

"No it's not," she told him curtly. "I can't put this on you and your family, Fiyero."

"Yes you can –"

"Fiyero, it's a baby!" she yelled at him. And in her anger, she completely forgot about covering herself up. Now, her hands gripped the tubs edge. It was the only thing preventing her from slapping Fiyero across the face. "It's not going to come out fully grown. You'll have to raise it. You'll be tired all the time. You won't have any free time."

Fiyero took her hand in his and forcefully, he looked her in the eyes. "The baby needs a father, Fae."

She wrenched her hand from his grip. "Fiyero, no –"

He grabbed her other hand. "Fae," he told her gently. "I _want_ to do this. For you. For the baby. For us."

She dropped her eyes shyly. "Fiyero, I could never do that to you. You may say that now, but you can't promise me anything."

"Fae, yes I can." He smiled at her, but he could easily see that he wasn't getting through to her. Sighing, he squeezed her hand. "Look, my mom is going to be her soon. She's wants to make sure you and the baby are okay."

"What?"

"She's a Doctor," Fiyero assured her. "We can talk about this later, but for now just act like the child is mine. Okay?"

Somewhat reluctantly, Elphaba nodded her head. "Fine, but I may change my mind."

"We'll talk later." He opened his arms and she eyed them with disgust. He frowned. "Can I have a hug?"

"No."

He pouted and then before she could protest he quickly leaned in for one. He buried his head in her newly washed hair and it wasn't until his hands wrapped around her very wet, _bare _back was he aware that she had no clothes on. He blushed at the feeling of her body pressed firmly up against him. The only thing separating them was his shirt. Fiyero groaned inwardly.

And then faster than he could comprehend, Elphaba pulled away and submerged back into the water. He smiled in spite of himself and the blush on Elphaba's face only grew darker. She gave him a shy glance. "I got you wet."

He looked down and saw that the front of his shirt was blotched with water. "It'll dry," he shrugged. She gave him an odd look, almost as if she was trying to tell him something, but he couldn't make out what she was trying to say. "What?"

"Go away.'

Fiyero felt the heat rise to his cheeks and immediately, he shut his eyes. "Oh. Sorry. I…I'll… leave. Yeah, I'll leave." He spun around quickly, but by doing so, he somehow managed to knock over a bottle of lotion, make-up, and other various female products that were unknown to him off the counter. "Aw, crap." He mumbled angrily as he stumbled to pick everything up. "Don't tell Kara. She'll flip."

Elphaba let out an exasperated sigh. "Fiyero, you are the most–"

He cut her off, cursing in a different language Elphaba couldn't understand. "Ow!" he howled. As he stood up, his head had collided into the bottom of the bathroom sink. "Oz, that hurt." He clutched his throbbing head, and everything he had picked up scattered across the floor. Apparently, today wasn't his day.

Elphaba huffed. She could clearly see that he was not going anywhere. "I'm done. Just stay there and don't look," she told him sharply.

He hadn't been listening to her, but when he heard the splattering of water as she got out of the tub, he made sure his eyes were shut tight. It took all his power not to imagine the water running off her naked body. He squeezed his eyes closed even tighter in an attempt to clear his mind. It didn't work in the slightest bit, so he was thankful when Elphaba tapped him on the shoulder seconds later.

"You can open your eyes now."

He did. She was kneeling next to him and he gave her something between a smile and a frown. She was wearing something he assumed was his mother's, and although the purple dress was too small for her pregnant belly, she still looked beautiful. And before he could stop himself, his hand reached up and gently cupped her face. Her eyes darted around the room frantically and he knew he should pull back, but he couldn't find the strength to do it.

Elphaba lifted her eyes cautiously, and he saw that they were wide with disbelief. "You're bleeding. You must have scratched it on the corner of the sink," she told him, concern sneaking into her voice.

He hadn't heard her, for he was to busy eyeing her hand that was reaching up to touch his face. "Yeah. I must have scratched it, or something."

Her fingertips gently grazed across his cut, but as soon as she felt the rush of emotions beginning to pile at the bottom of her stomach, she pulled back. "We should…. Your parents are probably looking for you… me… us."

Fiyero reluctantly broke his spell and he suddenly found that he could breathe again. "Yeah. We should…" he trailed off as they both got off the bathroom floor. And being a perfect gentleman, he opened the door for her. "After you."

She chuckled, but abruptly stopped when she saw who was standing in the middle of Kara's room. She knew right away that it was Fiyero's mother. The woman held her head high, her gaze was sharp, and acted like she was worth millions. She had the look and attitude of a Queen, and it made Elphaba feel very uneasy.

"You must be Elphaba. I'm Elvira," the woman told her politely, but not polite enough to hold out her hand to be shook.

Elphaba silently wondered if Fiyero had warned his parents about her skin. Elvira didn't even acknowledge it. Elphaba forced out a smile. "It's nice to meet you."

Elvira didn't reply. Instead, she eyed Elphaba up and down, making sure that this girl was good enough for her son. And that's when she spotted Elphaba's damp hair and Fiyero's wet shirt. She eyed the two of them with suspicious eyes. "What were you two doing in there… alone?"

Fiyero mentally smacked himself. His mother really knew how to make people uncomfortable. "Where's Kara?" he quickly changed the subject, noticing that his sister was no where to be found.

"I told her to go help your father." Elvira smiled at them, and Elphaba knew that it was a fake. "Well, it seems that Fiyero wasn't lying."

"About what?"

Elvira didn't answer. Instead, she walked over to the couple and placed both of her hands on Elphaba's growing stomach. "When was your last doctor's appointment?"

Elphaba gave Fiyero a fearful look, and quickly he stepped between her and his mother. "Mom, Elphaba's tired. I'm sure you can give her an appointment tomorrow."

"She can speak for herself, Fiyero. Can't she?"

Fiyero glared. Why did his mother always have to make everything so complicated and frustrating. "Yes, but –"

"Fiyero, it's fine." Elphaba spoke up, finally finding her voice. "I am tired. Would it be alright if you did it some other time?" It was lie. Elphaba wasn't tired at all, and she had no intentions of letting Fiyero's mother poke her and other silly things doctors did.

Elvira gave them, yet, another false smile. "Alright then. I guess I should leave so you can get some rest. Your room will be next to Kara's. Do you mind sharing a bathroom with her?"

Elphaba shook her head. In her mind, she was lucky enough to have her own room. "No."

"Well, it was nice to meet you." She turned to leave, but stopped herself. "Oh, and Elphaba."

"Yes?"

"We sleep with the doors open." She eyed Elphaba's stomach, clearly making her point. Elvira saw the blush spreading across Elphaba's and Fiyero's face and she couldn't help but give them a _real_ smile. And with those words said, she disappeared out the door.

* * *

**Thanks to everyone (again) for suggesting baby names! I narrowed it down to the ones i really, really liked.**

****

**If Boy... **

**Micah (Eowyn-Faith's Idea) Or**

**Shea (GraniaMhaol's idea)**

**If Girl... **

**Lyra (TillItryIllNeverKnow's idea) **

**Kali (I still like this one, but is that to close to Kara?) OR **

**Lena (Like shortened form of Melena. Akasharogue's Idea)**

**What do you guys think? **


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

_There's a place for us,  
Somewhere a place for us.  
Peace and quiet and open air  
Wait for us  
Somewhere._

Over the next few weeks Elphaba avoided Fiyero's parents at all cost. His father wasn't hard, since he was always in his study or away. And when they did cross paths he would look the opposite way and act like he never even saw her. Elphaba knew he didn't like her, and though she was use to this, it still bothered her. Apparently, he was still trying to figure out what to do with her. Maybe, a part of her had hoped that Ather would treat her like a daughter of his own. Who was she kidding?

Fiyero's mother, Elvira, on the other hand wouldn't stop looking for her, but Elphaba made sure that they _never _crossed paths. However, each passing day became harder, especially once Elvira finally caught on that Elphaba was, in fact, avoiding her. Elvira would actually _search _for her during the day, and Elphaba was finding less and less places to hide. It's not that she didn't like Fiyero's _mom_, she just didn't like the _doctor_ part of her. Yes. The mother side of her was fun to be around and you always felt loved. However, the doctor part of her was annoying and somewhat demanding. She didn't want a doctor's appointment and she _really _didn't want Elvira peeking under her dress to make sure everything was alright and healthy. That scared her. Seriously, though. What was the point of a doctor if she already knew she was okay? She knew the answer to this, but she pretended she didn't.

It wasn't until _Fiyero _started to question her about why she was avoiding his mother, she felt like she couldn't talk to anyone. However, there was Kara. A girl who, surprisingly, believed and understood everything she told her. That is, if she even had the chance to talk. Kara was one of those girls who wouldn't stop talking. And sometimes Elphaba really just wanted – no, needed – silence.

And that's why she was out in the garden that night. Alone. She didn't want to tell anymore lies or be somewhere she didn't want to be. And although, Fiyero had been exceptionally kind to her and she couldn't have ask for anyone better, she still needed some alone time.

_Fiyero. _

At the thought of him, Elphaba remembered their journey home together and how he had talk to her belly. She thought about the way he made her smile and the way he made her laugh. She thought about his perfect blue eyes and his cute dimples when he smiled his charming smile. She continued to think about him until she realized that she actually _missed_ him. It was absurd. But she had almost been with him twenty-four seven since the day they met, so it felt odd that he wasn't sitting next to her now. She sighed, wishing that he was here. It wasn't long before her wish came true.

"Hey," his voice brought her back to reality. He took a seat next to her on the ground and casually he let his arm fall behind her. "You okay?"

She smiled in spite of herself. "How'd you find me?"

Fiyero nodded towards the castle. "I was looking out my bedroom window when I saw you sitting out here. I wouldn't have seen you in the first place if it wasn't for the moon, which is shinning directly on you."

Elphaba hadn't even noticed the full moon or the bright stars until now. "It's beautiful."

"Yes." However, he was staring directly at her and he was_ not_ talking about the moon. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, his lips lingering a little longer than necessary. "May I ask you a question?"

She shook her head. "If it's about your mom and that appointment –"

"It's not about that."

"Oh." She was taken aback. For the past week he had been bugging her about it. "Then what is it?"

"When's your birthday?"

"What?" Disbelief and confusion were written across her face. His random question had surprised her.

He smirked at her. "You know. The day you're born," he teased.

She dropped her eyes, suddenly finding her hands very interesting. "Why do you want to know?"

"Well," he began. "I was thinking about the baby and wondering about the due date. And that's when it hit me. I don't know _your_ birthday." He poked her nose, but she still didn't look up from her hands.

"Does it really even matter?"

Fiyero frowned, wondering why she would even think such a thing. "Of course it does."

"It doesn't matter to me."

"It matters to me."

Elphaba looked up at him. Again, his eyes told her something she didn't want to know. Why did he always have to care so damn much? Elphaba cursed inwardly. Damn him and his caring personality. She silently wondered if he even realized how nice he was. What had she done to deserve someone like him? Suddenly, her mind flashed back to when they first met. _Ever think that I'm your miracle? _he had said. Elphaba couldn't help the smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She hadn't believed those words, but now she was considering it. "It's just a day where we add one year to our age. A day to say 'Happy Birthday' and sing that stupid obnoxious song. What's the point of celebrating that?" she scoffed at him.

"It's more than that, Fae." He paused before continuing. "It's a day to celebrate our life. It's the idea of knowing that we made it through another year. It's knowing that we're alive. It's The Fates way of letting us celebrate with the ones we love."

She thought about her mother and how fate had taken her life. She thought about how she had never once celebrated her birthday. She thought about how no one had ever given her anything before. But she didn't tell him any of this. Instead, she summed it up with three words. "It's not important." And it wasn't. Her birthday never had been and never would.

"You know that's not true." Fiyero let out an exasperated sigh, wondering how to get through to her. "I want to get you something, Fae."

"I don't want anything." Elphaba shrugged.

"Surely you want _something_."

"I don't." She didn't bother telling him that simply him sitting next to her meant something to her.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing."

He laughed. "What is it you want, Fae? What do you want?" His eyes lit up as an idea came to him, and quickly he pointed to their only source of light. "You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down." Fiyero smiled at the thought. "Hey. That's a pretty good idea. I'll give you the moon, Fae."

Her eyes were sparklingly with amusement. "I'll take it. Then what?" she told him, playing along with his joke.

"Well, then you can swallow it, and it'll all dissolve, see... and the moonbeams would shoot out of your fingers and your toes and the ends of your hair..."

"But what good will that do me?"

Fiyero intertwined their fingers together and gazed directly into her eyes before speaking. "If you get lost you'll always have a light. A light to protect and guide you. A light that's impenetrable and nothing can harm you. A light to warm you. A light so _I'll_ be able to find you."

"How will I sleep at night if I'm being blinded by this light?"

"Ah, but see that's the thing. It's invisible," he lowered his voice to a whisper. Almost as if he was telling her his deepest darkest secret. "But when needed… the light will be there. Always."

She smiled in spite of herself. "I'm beginning to think that you really think that this light is _real_."

Fiyero stared directly into her eyes, which were reflecting the light of the moon. And it wasn't until then did he realize how their foreheads were almost touching. "Ah. But it _is_ real, Fae. You just have to look close enough."

Elphaba turned to look up at the bright moon. It really was a sight, and it was so close it almost felt like you could reach up and touch it. However, she knew this was impossible and though she wouldn't admit it, the idea of Fiyero giving her the moon was something special, something insane, and something that was just right. She turned back to him, with a gleaming look in her eye. "I'll tell you what."

"What would that be?"

"I'll tell you my birthday one day in advance."

He frowned. "Only a day?"

She nodded. "Yes, only a day."

Fiyero huffed, clearly angry by this deal, but nevertheless, he accepted it. "Fine. But please tell me if it's anytime this month."

"No."

"No, seriously. I need to know if it's this month."

Elphaba refused to give into his trap. "Why do you need to know that?"

"I'm working on a project. Something special. Just for you."

"I don't want anything."

He shook his head. "I already started. But I think you'll like it."

Elphaba wanted to tell him that she wouldn't like it, but that she would _love_ it. Just the idea of him wanting to get her a gift meant something to her. After all, it's the thought that counts. And it really was. "But why do you need to know if it's this month."

"It's going to take me awhile, but I want to get it done before your birthday."

"It's not this month." Elphaba silently wondered why he needed a whole month to finish. Surely, her gift wasn't this big, but then again, you never knew with Fiyero. Suddenly, she wanted to tell him not to get it for her and not to spend his money, but she knew he wouldn't listen to her. She bit her lip, fighting the urge to argue with him.

Fiyero sighed in relief. He had the perfect gift for her and he knew she was going to love it. However, he didn't know when he would have the time to work on it. He would make time, and surely Avaric would help him. He turned to smile at her, and when she returned his gesture it made his heart flutter. "It's getting late. We should probably go inside."

Elphaba didn't answer. Instead, she gasped and clutched her stomach. Her eyes were shut tight, but she could feel Fiyero's anxious, worried eyes on her. "I'm fine," she forced out.

"Fae, what's wrong?"

Her eyes fluttered open and a smile tugged at her lips. "I'm fine. I just had another…"

Fiyero nodded, knowing exactly what had just happened. A vision. They were starting to come more frequently now, and as soon as they were done they left her extremely exhausted and disoriented. He hated them, but he couldn't tell her this. She loved them; he could tell by the way she smiled after they were done. "What did you see?"

"The same as last time."

It was_ always _the same. Happiness, bliss, etc. Couldn't the baby tell her anything else? Did it really have to waste all her strength on one emotion? Fiyero was getting annoyed, but nevertheless, he still loved the unborn child with all his heart. Smiling, he leaned down and kissed her stomach. "Hey, little guy." And then his eyes grew wide with fear.

"What?"

"I think I felt it."

"Yeah… but you've told me you felt it before…"

He ignored her. How could he tell her that he had lied? "I felt it kick!" The excitement in his voice was evident, and he immediately forgot about how he hated those so called visions. "Fae, I want to hold it."

She just blinked. "Fiyero, I think that's going to be a little hard right –"

"I know. But I really want to hold it _now." _

Elphaba couldn't help but laugh. "Well you're just going to have to wait a couple of months."

Fiyero frowned. "Months!? That's so long," he scoffed. "Can't it come sooner?"

"No," she yawned.

Gently, he reached up and cupped her face with his hands. "I_ guess_ I can wait." She rolled her eyes, and he smirked. "Come on," he tugged at her hand, helping her off the ground. "Let's go. I'm sure you're tired."

She nodded and together they walked back inside, neither realizing that they were still holding hands.

--

Fiyero was violently shaken awake. He blinked a few time in an attempt to focus, but when he saw that it was only Kara, he huffed and rolled over on his side. What time was it? Three in the morning? He wasn't sure, but he knew it was way too early to be woken up. However, Kara just shook him again.

"Fiyero."

The way she had said it made him sit up. Her voice. It was full of fear, worry, and pain. His sister was strong and she didn't scare easily. So whatever it was, he knew it was serious. "Kara, what's wrong?"

"I don't know. I woke up and… and the bathroom light was on…"

"Kara," he cut in. He could hardly understand what she was saying. "Slow down. Now, what's wrong?"

"It's Elphaba," she choked out.

That was all it took for him to throw back his covers and race out of his room. He hardly acknowledged the fact that he was only wearing boxer shorts. He hardly acknowledged the fact that his sister was right behind him. He hardly acknowledged the fact that she was shouting something about blood and a bathroom. He couldn't think. He couldn't breathe. The only thought penetrating his mind was Elphaba. Maybe he was overacting. Maybe she was fine, but why had Kara been so worried? His heart beat quicken as he raced down the hall. It felt like an eternity before he finally reached Elphaba's room, and when he finally got there she was no where in sight. And then he saw the light under the bathroom door. He gulped as he pushed it open.

He opened the door just in time to see her shove some sort of cloth up under her dress. She was on the ground panting, heaving, and near tears. Fiyero rushed to her side and knelt down beside her.

"Fae." He gripped the back of her head and entangled his hand in her hair. "What's wrong?"

"Make it stop," she gasped. "Make it stop."

"Fae," he soothed. "Make what stop?"

But she wasn't listening to him. She hadn't even heard him. Fiyero watched hopelessly as she shut her eyes in pain, trying to force back tears. He gripped her hands to stop her from shaking and it wasn't until then, did he realize that they were smeared with crimson. A color he knew so well and a color that made his stomach lurch.

"I'm bleeding. It won't stop. Yero, make it stop." Her voice was so demanding, heart shattering, and full of worry. Elphaba gasped as she clutched her stomach again.

"Oh… Oz!" Fiyero wanted to throw up. Was she going into labor? He didn't know. He wasn't a doctor. However, he knew that it was way too early for this to be happening.

"I'm going to wake, Mom," he barely heard Kara say, and within seconds she disappeared out the door.

How could he let this happen? It was his entire fault. If he had gotten her to the doctor's sooner she wouldn't be in pain. If he had been with her and not sleeping he could have helped her sooner. She was pleading with him and kept uttering words to make it stop. But how could he? He wasn't a doctor. He cursed silently to himself. Hadn't he told her just hours ago that the moon's light would protect her? Hadn't he told her that it was impenetrable? Fiyero silently wondered if this was the unnamed God's way of telling him that he couldn't have the moon.

"Fae, it's going to be okay," he forced out, and yet, even he could hear the lie behind his own words. How could he tell her everything was perfectly fine when she was bleeding and only six months pregnant?

"Fiyero, it… it… hurts."

Now, he was the one forcing back tears. Silently, he pulled her into a hug, gripping her for dear life. He could only pray that Kara would fetch their mom in time. Maybe, if he held her tight enough everything would be okay. Maybe, if he gently rocked her back and the forth the blood would stop. Maybe, if he whispered soothing words of lies into her ear everything really would be okay. And even if it wasn't…

It was the only thing he could do.

* * *

**Sorry for the Cliffy. I actually didn't plan for that to happen. It came to me while I was writing it. **

**And yes that whole line about the moon and the lasso was from It's a Wonderful life.** **I don't know why I even though about that movie in the first place. It's not Christmas and I haven't even seen the whole thing, so I have no idea why it popped into my head. Lol. All well. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks so much for all your reviews! Ah I reached 100 and over! ! I should write cliffies more often...**

**haha jk.**

**i'm glad you guys like my story.**

**Anywho...**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

_There's a cry  
In the distance  
It's a voice  
That comes from deep within  
There's a cry  
Asking why  
I pray the answer's up ahead  
'Cause I know where I've been_

Fiyero sat in a chair next to the bed Elphaba was sleeping in. He held her hand gently in his, and although he had been there for hours, he had no intentions of leaving her side. Her hands were as cold as ice, but her face was burning hot. Her lips were almost gray, and her chest was rising and falling in a slow, almost unnoticeable rhythm. More tears rose in his eyes, blocking his vision. He wanted her to wake so badly, but his mother had drugged her with Oz knows what. She had told him it would help, and it did. Elphaba wasn't getting any worse, but she wasn't getting any better either. That was encouraging. Right? Fiyero closed his eyes in vain. He couldn't stop thinking about that night.

Elphaba had looked so scared, vulnerable, and worried. It scared him to no end. When his mother finally woke they had rushed Elphaba down to the hospital wing. Elvira wanted to do a full examination, but when she had started to strip Elphaba's clothes off, Elphaba went hysteric. He had tried to calm her down, but nothing seemed to work. Eventually, his mother had jabbed a needle into Elphaba's arm, and reluctantly, Elphaba passed out. Of course, Fiyero was furious and practically screamed at his mother for doing this, but she had said it would be easier this way.

At first, his mother had worried about Elphaba having a miscarriage, but after a complete examination she had told him that Elphaba was fine and so was the baby. Apparently, she had stopped bleeding. He didn't want to know what was _wrong _with her, so he didn't ask. However, there was _one_ question he wanted an answer too. Would she be okay?

That night had been nearly twenty-four hours ago, and Elphaba still hadn't waked. She kept drifting in and out of consciousness. It frustrated him to see her like this, knowing he couldn't help. He was useless and utterly helpless, alone. The word 'hell' had become a whole knew meaning to him.

"Sweet-heart, you shouldn't torture yourself like this."

Fiyero looked up and found his mother holding a mug in her hands. "What are you doing up? It's passed one in the morning," he questioned her.

Slowly, she walked over to him and sat on the edge of the bed. "Shouldn't I be asking _you_ that question?"

He buried his face in his hands. "I can't leave her, Mom."

Elvira gave him a weak smile. "I know. That's why I brought you this." She handed him the mug and he gratefully took it. "It's hot chocolate. It used to be your favorite."

"Thank you."

"Fiyero, she's going to be okay."

"This is my fault," Fiyero choked out.

Elvira stared at her son, confused. "It's not your –."

"No, Mom," he cut her off angrily. "It is my fault. Hours before it… happened… I had wished for the baby to be born earlier. I just wanted to hold it. Of course, I didn't want any harm to come to either of them, but… Oz." He let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm so selfish. If I never –"

"Fiyero, this would have happened no matter what."

"You don't know that," he told her softly.

Elvira sighed, inwardly. It hurt to see her son this way. Broken, hurt, and alone. "I do, Fiyero."

A silence spread over them and Fiyero sipped the hot chocolate. It burned his tongue, but he didn't care. If Elphaba was in pain, why couldn't he be too? Like he had said, they were in this together. Minutes passed and his mother still hadn't left. Silently, he wondered why she was still there. He didn't need anymore comfort and he wasn't entirely sure that she even liked Elphaba. He knew his father didn't and he couldn't understand why.

"What's bothering you, Fiyero?" she asked him. He took a glance towards Elphaba as if it were oblivious, but she quickly added, "I know it's something else…"

He sighed, giving in. "Why don't you guys like, Elphaba? Is it because she's pregnant? I mean I played a part in that too."

Elvira raised an eyebrow, and in a stern voice she said, "Did you really, Fiyero?"

The way she had said it made Fiyero look up with curious eyes. Did she know? But how? Maybe, this was a trick. She was good at luring people into telling her secrets. However, his mother didn't break eye contact with him, and shyly he looked away. Fiyero cursed silently to himself. Why did all mothers have that _look_? The look they gave you when they were angry at you. The look that made you feel like you were three feet tall. That stern evil look. The one he knew so well, and the one he hated. "I don't know –"

"Fiyero, it doesn't really make sense that the child is yours."

"But –"

"And Kara confirmed it for me."

Fiyero frowned. "Please don't tell Dad." He cursed silently to himself. _Why _would Kara do such thing? In that moment he wanted to strangle his sister. How could she have betrayed him?

And as if his mother could read his mind she told him, "Don't blame, Kara. I tricked her into telling me." She chuckled at the memory.

"Why?"

"I knew something fishy was going on. Your stories didn't fit. The day after I met Elphaba, I asked her how you two met. She told me you met while taking a walk through the forest, but you told me you met at a store. I knew something was up, so I asked Kara."

Fiyero smirked in spite of himself. "How did you know that Kara would know?"

His mother shrugged. "You two tell each other everything _and_ Kara always knows what's going on."

He thought this over for a moment. It was true. Kara always knew what was going on, so could he blame her for telling their mother? It's not like he had asked her to keep it a secret. Really, the only person he was scared of was his father. Quickly, he looked up at his mother with pleading eyes. "Please don't tell, Dad. He won't let her stay. I know he won't."

Elvira gripped her son's hand. "Your secret's safe with me."

A weak smile lit his face. "Thank you, Mom."

She nodded. "But who's the father, Fiyero?"

Fiyero took a glance at Elphaba. She was sleeping soundly, but would she get mad if he told his mother? Probably. He bit his lip, fighting the urge to tell her the truth. He took a moment to figure out the right words to say . Eventually, he went with, "It's complicated, Mom." It wasn't a lie. "He left her."

"Poor girl," she turned to Elphaba and gave her a weak smile. "You really… love her. Don't you."

Fiyero nodded. A smile tugging at his lips. "I do. Don't tell her though. I don't want to scare her."

Another silence spread over them, and Elvira stifled a yawn. "Well, I'm going to bed now. Goodnight, Son."

Fiyero nodded. "Night, Mom."

He silently watched her leave. It amazed him how easily he could trust his mother. And then he wondered why he had been so afraid to tell her in the first place, but he knew why. It was his father. Fiyero sighed. He loved his father, of course, but he was too strict. His parents had been part of an arranged marriage, and sometimes he wondered if they even loved each other, but he knew they did. Maybe, not when they first met, but he knew they loved each now. He could see it in their eyes. The way their eyes sparkled when they talked to each other. Just like when he was with Elphaba.

--

Elphaba's eyes fluttered open. She felt groggily, tired, and hopelessly weak. Her vision was hazy, and it felt like she had slept through an entire month. Sighing, she blinked in an attempt to clear her sight. Slowly, her vision began to clear and once she could see perfectly, she looked around the room. Panic threatened to overwhelm her sanity when she realized that she didn't know where she was. But then her eyes landed on Fiyero who was lying on the bed next to her, sleeping soundly. She couldn't remember how he or she had gotten there, and that scared her.

She stared at him for a moment and she felt her heart flutter, but it was over as soon as she felt the awful emotion of panic rushing throughout her body. Over the pass few months she had believed she would never want another guy to lay hands on her again. But when Fiyero touched her, she couldn't really remember that awful night. It was almost as if one canceled out the other. It made no sense, given what had happened, but she had the odd feeling she could trust Fiyero...

How she hated that feeling.

It scared her. She didn't want someone to trust, someone to care about, or even have these unexplained feelings for. Forcefully, she closed her eyes, trying to throw away her thoughts, and that's when Fiyero twitched.

"Fae?"

She gave him a weak smile. "What happened?" it came out raspy and weak.

He sat up and scooted closer to her; hardly noticing the way she tense. "Are you okay?"

"I feel like I've been heavily drugged."

Fiyero chuckled. "That's because you have. My mother gave you medicine. She said it would help."

Elphaba gripped her stomach with a worried expression and suddenly, memories came rushing back to her. She gasped, as she remembered the blood, the pain, and Fiyero's mom _trying _to give her an exam. It wasn't until Fiyero gripped her shoulders did she realize she was shaking.

"Fae, calm down. You're both fine."

"But-"

He lifted her chin to meet his eyes. "Trust me, Fae. You're fine."

There it was again. Trust. The one emotion she hated, but nevertheless she found herself believing his words. "How long have I been out?"

"A day and a half."

"Oh. Please tell me you haven't been stuck in this room the entire time."

He bit his lip. "I wasn't." It wasn't a lie. He had left to go into town with his father. He hadn't wanted to go, but his parents had insisted he got some fresh air. He had only been gone for about ten minutes, so he hadn't been with her the _entire_ time... but it had been most. However, she did not need to know this.

"I don't believe you," she told him softly.

Fiyero couldn't help but smirk. Slowly, he held up a clutch fist just inches away from her face. She eyed it suspiciously, and softly he whispered in her ear, "I'll prove it." He opened his fist, and something dropped and then dangled from his fingers.

It took her moment to realize what it was, but once it stopped swaying she could easily see that it was a necklace. It was plain, simple, and sliver, but when she saw the charm dangling from the sliver chain she broke out into a huge smile. It was the crescent shape of a _moon,_ and the tiny diamonds that filled it made it sparkle. Almost as if it were _glowing_. Like a light.

"I know you're not big on jewelry, but –"

"I love it," she cut him off. _You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down, _he had said. "It's perfect, Fiyero." It really was. She didn't know what else to say. No one had ever gotten her something before, and she wasn't quite sure how she felt about it. True, she loved the necklace, but surely she wasn't important enough for someone to spend their money on.

He laughed at the way she was eyeing it; full of bliss and eagerness. "Do you want me to put it on?" She nodded as she pulled up her hair. Just above a whisper, he told her how he came upon it, "My father wanted me to get some fresh air, so he took me into the village. There are not many stores around here, so people sell stuff on the streets... in carts. I passed this one jewelry cart and this one caught my eye. I knew it was perfect." Fiyero clasped the two hooks together.

"How much did it cost?" she hadn't meant to ask. The words flew out of her mouth before it was too late to stop them. When Fiyero didn't answer, her eyes grew wide with disbelief and suddenly she didn't want it. "Fiyero –"

"Fae," he cut in. "It wasn't that much." He was lying, but she didn't need to know that.

"Fiyero –"

"Fae, it's fine." He gently reached for her hand and intertwined it with his own. "But do you like it?"

Elphaba turned to him, her eyes sparkling, just like the necklace. "I love it, Fiyero."

In his mind, he narrowed her four words down to three words. He had simply cut out the word 'it', but those remaining three words meant more to him than she would ever know.

* * *

**I won't be able to update until Monday. Sorry, but my family and I are going away for the weekend and I won't have my computer with me. I'll update as soon as I get back.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

_And she sighs, and she swoons_

_And she's humming little tunes_

_Even has a sorta glow_

_What on Earth could it be?_

_Any hammerhead can_

_That swoon!_

_That Sigh!_

_That glow!_

_Oh No!_

_She's in love!_

After spending more than a week on bed rest, Elphaba was finally free to roam around the castle. And as the weeks went by she found herself growing accustom to Fiyero's family. Kara was everything a little girl should be, and Elphaba found herself enjoying their conversations together. She loved Fiyero's mother. Apparently, Elvira knew that it wasn't Fiyero's child, and though she had no idea how his mother found out, she didn't care. Elvira was so kind, gently, and understanding through all of this, and Elphaba couldn't have asked for anything better. She was the mother Elphaba couldn't remember, and every time they were together the same questions would pop into her head. Had her real mother been this nice? Had her real mother loved her like Elvira did? She couldn't remember, for Melena had died when she was a mere three years old, but shouldn't she have some recognition of her mother's loving ways?

Ather, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of his wife. He wasn't as mean as Frex had been, but it was a different kind of relationship. For years she had (and still did) believed that Frex's main goal was to make her life a living hell. Ather, on the other hand, would completely ignore her. True, he was quiet and when he did talk to her (which was rare) he wasn't rude. She wasn't sure, but she just got this vibe that he didn't like her.

Elphaba sighed. And then there was Fiyero. Hopeless romantic, charming, and very kind Fiyero. She hadn't taken the moon shaped necklace off her yet, and she knew that she never would. That simple gift had meant more to her than he would ever know. It scared her, how easily she trusted him. The one emotion she hated, but nevertheless she couldn't stop herself from feeling that way. She knew he would never hurt her, but then again…. She trailed off in a sigh. He was practically by her side twenty-four seven and every day they would do something together. Simple things, like: taking a walk through the gardens, playing games, or even giving her a tour of the castle.

Her favorite had been when he showed her the library. She smiled at the memory…

"Can I open them?"

"Wait. Wait. Not yet." He was covering her eyes with his hands and carefully he led her through the huge doors. "Alright… alright… Now!"

She had opened her eyes and gasped. "I can't believe it," she told him in awe. "There are so many books." The walls were covered in books, reaching all the way to the ceiling, which was two stories high. To the right of the library there was a large sprial staircase that led to the second floor, and to the left of the library there was a master fireplace wedged in between two book cases. And at the very far end of the room there was a large window that took up the entire wall.

"I would have shown you sooner, but we were redoing the floors," he told her sheepishly. "This room has the best view."

Elphaba gave him a full-hearted smile before walking over to the large round window. She could see for miles. Beyond the forest was mostly flat expect for the very few mountains that were just barely peeking up over the horizon. She wondered if it was even part of Oz. "What's that over there?"

He squinted. "We're not sure. It's beyond the border of Oz, but no one has ever gone there before."

"Why?"

"Because the desert _will_ kill you before you reach it." And then he was by her side, gripping her hand. "Fae, this is your room. You can read as much and whenever you want."

Ever since then, she had been up to the library everyday. And now that she was thirty-two weeks pregnant, she definitely needed some alone time. It was her get away room, a place where she could get lost in someone else's life and not hers. Sometimes, she would even fall asleep, but Fiyero would always know where to find her. And that's what was happening now.

"Fae, wake up," Fiyero gently shook her awake.

She blinked, clearing her sight, and when Fiyero finally came into focus she gave him a wide smile. "I fell asleep again. Didn't I?"

"Yeah."

"What time is it?" she yawned.

"Lunch time. Now, let's go downstairs."

Elphaba grumbled angrily as he helped her out of the chair. Simple stuff like this bothered her nowadays. She could hardly do anything for herself; this agitated her to no end. Bending over was nearly impossible and getting dressed in the morning was a hazard. She was tired, achy, and _always _had to use the bathroom. The novelty of her baby bump had just simply worn off; basically, she was getting downright tired of being pregnant. Elvira had told her that this was normal, but she was just so tired. When was the baby supposed to be born?

Elphaba stopped abruptly at the though, and Fiyero eyed her with a worried expression. "Fae, what's wrong?"

She dropped her eyes shyly. "I completely forgot about it..."

"But?"

"It's my birthday tomorrow."

Fiyero blinked. "Tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Remember our deal. I'll tell you a day in advance."

A smile lit Fiyero's face. "This is going to be great! Fae, you're going to have the best birthday ever. You just wait…" he trailed off, his smile turning into a frown.

"What's wrong?"

"Damn it!" he cursed, but only loud enough for him to hear. "I'm no where near done your birthday present –"

She cut him off. "Fiyero, it's fine. You shouldn't have –"

"No, I'll finish. Don't worry." However, he was talking more to himself than to her. "Yes… I'll finish." He turned to her suddenly. "My parents and Kara are already downstairs."

"Aren't you coming?"

"I'll be there in a little bit." With those words said, he disappeared down the hall, leaving her very alone.

--

Fiyero did not join her for lunch and Elphaba felt uneasy sitting at the table with his family. She had been with them for over three months now, but she still didn't feel comfortable with them alone. Okay, maybe she was overacting. It was really just Ather who she wasn't use to and it surprised her now that he was eating with them. Over the past few weeks he had eaten in his study and not wanted to be bothered. She had simply assumed that this was because of her. Elphaba sighed, why did she care what Ather thought of her?

"Not long now." Elvira broke out into a grin. "A couple more weeks."

Elphaba paled at the thought. She hadn't known it would be weeks. She knew it was soon, but weeks was not a very long time. A couple of weeks and she would have a bouncing bundle of joy in her arms. Suddenly, she felt sick. She didn't have anything. Not a crib, clothes, or… other baby things. Oz, she was going to be a bad mother.

"Elphaba… sweet-heart. You okay?"

Elphaba blinked and she was immediately brought back to reality. Kara, Ather, and Elvira were now staring at her with nervous faces, and Elphaba suddenly wished that the room would swallow her whole. Where was Fiyero when she needed him? "What? Oh… yes, I'm fine."

"You look pale…" Elvira told her gently. "What's bothering you?"

"Nothing." She poked her food with her fork, suddenly at lost of an appetite.

"It's okay to be nervous."

Elphaba looked up at Elvira with wide eyes. It was like she could read her mind, and silently Elphaba wondered if this woman really could. She sighed, knowing it was silly. Elvira was probably just good at reading people, and it's not like she was very hard.

"Yes! We'll help!" Kara, who was sitting next to her, told her happily. "Ooh! Have you thought of baby names yet?"

"No…I haven't."

"I hope it's a girl…"

"Kara!" Ather scowled. "We'll welcome this baby if it's a girl _or_ a boy."

Elphaba whipped around to look Ather in the eye. Had he just said something about her and it wasn't in vain? She could barely hide her shock.

At the moment, Elvira nudged her husband and gave him a knowing look. He did the same thing back, but sighed in defeat. Kara stifled a laugh at her parent's foolish 'silent' conversations. But nevertheless, Ather ignored his daughter and turned back to Elphaba. He dropped his eyes shyly, suddenly finding his lunch very interesting.

"Look, I know… you don't think I like you." He paused for a moment, taking a minute to breathe. For a king, he wasn't very talkative. "And it's not true. I have nothing against you."

Elphaba stared him, surprised that he was evening talking to her. "You don't have to apolog –"

"No, but I want to." He looked her in the eye, and she could clearly see that he meant every word. "I want to apologize for the way I treated you these past few months. It was wrong and I'm sorry for that."

"Thanks you… apology accepted." She gave him a weak smile and she was greatly surprised when he returned the gesture.

"I'm going to be a grandpa!" he told her, almost as if he was considering the fact for the first time. "No… I don't like Grandpa. It sounds... old. How about Pop Pop?!"

Elphaba gave him a full hearted smile. For the first time she felt that Ather actually cared about her. Maybe, he wasn't who she thought he was. She could clearly see the excitement in his eyes. How could she break his heart and tell him that he wasn't biologically one?

--

Elphaba paced back and forth in her bedroom. Night had fallen into place and she couldn't find Fiyero anywhere. In fact, the entire day she hadn't even seen him. This bothered her. Where the hell was he? She was worried about the baby, and the fact that she wasn't ready for it made her feel ill. She wanted to confront him about this, but he wasn't anywhere in the castle. She huffed. It was like he had disappeared off the face of Oz! Okay, so she was exaggerating, but still…

"Hey," an all too familiar voice spoke.

Elphaba whirled around and found Fiyero poking his head through her bedroom door. She smirked at the sight of him. His hair was lopsided and sticking up in every direction. His entire body was covered in paint of all sorts of colors, and Elphaba had to stifle the urge to laugh.

"Don't laugh!" he quickly walked in and threw himself on her bed. Elphaba smiled as she sat don't next to him.

"What happened to you? You look like a clown." That's when she spotted the blotch of green pain on the back of his hand. She poked him. "I think I'm rubbing off on you," she teased him.

Fiyero opened his eyes, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "I was working on your birthday present. It's finished by the way."

"May I see it?"

"Is it tomorrow yet?"

"…No…"

"Then no. You may wait until your birthday. Which is tomorrow."

Elphaba frowned and rolled her eyes. "Fine."

Fiyero turned to look at her and it wasn't until then did he realize the anxiety playing across her face. "Fae, what's wrong?"

She bit her lip, fighting the urge to tell him. How could she complain? It would cost money for the stuff she needed, but could she ask him for such a thing? She knew he would do anything for her, but how could she ask him to spend his money? "It's nothing, Fiyero."

He huffed. Gently, he reached up and cupped her face with his hand. "Fae, I know when something is bothering you. Now, what's wrong? You can tell me anything…"

"I...it's nothing."

"Please tell me." He pouted.

Elphaba dropped her eyes shyly. "I'm just… nervous."

He watched as she gently cradled her oversized stomach. "I know, but it'll work out."

"No," she told him harshly, panic sneaking into the back of her voice. "It'll be here in weeks and I don't have _anything –_"

"I don't think you should worry –"

But she either ignored him or hadn't heard him because she continued on with her rant. "I don't have crib or clothes… or anything else. Oz! And the fact that I'm…"

"Fae –"

"…going to be a bad mother is not helping the matter. I don't even know what to do! How in Oz am I suppose to –"

"Elphaba!" he shouted her name so loud he was almost positive the entire castle had heard, but he had gotten her undivided attention and that's all that matter. "Do you ever let anyone else speak?"

"Oh," she said softly. "Sorry."

"Everything is –"

Elphaba cut him off again, holding up a finger. "Can I just say one more thing?" He ran a hand through his hair and gave a loud sigh, but nevertheless he nodded his head for her to continue. "I'm scared, Fiyero. I don't know what to do or how to do anything…"

Fiyero causally let one of his arms fall behind her back. "Fae, everything is going to be okay. Don't worry."

"But I don't have anything, Fiyero! Where's the baby going to sleep?"

He sighed, quickly getting up off the bed and tugging her with him. "Come on, Fae. I want to show you something…"

"What?"

However, he didn't answer, so somewhat reluctantly she followed him down the hall. It took them less than five seconds before Fiyero stopped in front of a wooden door. He smiled at her and she just blinked.

"What?"

Fiyero rolled his eyes, nodding towards the door. "Well aren't you going to open it?"

It wasn't until then did she realize the bright red bow taped to the door. Under it was a card that read…

_Happy Birthday, Fae _

_Love Fiyero. _

It was so simple, but those five words literally made her day. Suddenly, she didn't care what was behind the door. She just wanted to keep the card, but apparently Fiyero had other ideas.

"Come on, Fae! Open it!"

Elphaba couldn't help but laugh at his eagerness. He looked like a little boy who had tasted chocolate for the first time. Wordlessly, she pushed the door open. It took her moment to take it all in and once she did, she couldn't help but smile.

The walls were painted two different shades of blue, and stars of every color were painted on it, in an intricate pattern of swirls. There was crib in the far corner of the room with a moon and star mobile hanging over the top of it. A rocking chair sat next to the window, giving a great view of the garden. And not to mention the amount of toys and stuffed animals that were flooding the room. Every piece of furniture matched the next. It was obvious that it was a moon and star theme, and she couldn't help but love the idea. Everything she needed for the baby was in this room and she couldn't help but feel the flood of relief that washed over her. Maybe, Fiyero knew her better than she thought.

She turned to Fiyero with a gleaming look in her eye. "You did all of this?" Silently, she walked over to the wall and ran a finger over one of the stars. It was clearly painted on, but did he do it, or had he hired someone? It was beautiful either way.

Fiyero was by her side in seconds. "Yes," he told her sheepishly. "Avaric helped a little, but I mostly did the painting."

"I didn't know you could paint so well. It's amazing." Only an artist could have done it, and she found herself truly in awe. Elphaba followed the stars with her eyes, which wrapped around the entire room, and she silently wondered where and how he had the time to finish it all. It would have taken her weeks just to paint one star!

"I know it's blue, but I wanted a moon and star theme, so -"

She cut him off. "It's perfect, Fiyero. I love it."

Fiyero gave her a wide smile. "It's not far from your bedroom at all. When the baby cries you'll be able to hear it. Oh!" his face brightened at another thought. "I almost forgot. You have to see the closet."

She gave him a skeptical look, but nevertheless she followed him through the walk in closet. "Fiyero, where did…" she trailed off. Both sides of the closet were filled with clothes. To her it seemed like it was never ending, surely it would last for years.

"Kara and my mother bought all of them. I didn't know the gender, so I just bought clothes for both." He pointed to the left side. "If it's a boy then his clothes are over here and if it's a girl…" he pointed to the other side. "It's over here. So! What do you think?"

Elphaba didn't bother telling him that it was foolish to buy clothes for both genders, when they could have easily waited. Instead, she went with, "I think the baby is going to be spoiled."

"There's no other way."

She smiled again, locking her copper eyes with his blue ones. "I love it, Fiyero. I really do."

"Happy Birthday, Fae," he told her softly, holding up his arms. And for the first time she didn't hesitate to really hug him back.


	14. Chapter 14

**I'm so sorry I didn't post this sooner, but school started and all my teachers kept hammering me with homework. I was just really stressed, but now I'm better. Oh and sorry if there is a lot of grammer errors in this chapter. I don't really have the time to reread it, but please _don't_ point them out to me. **

**So here's the next chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 14**

_Come stop your crying  
It will be all right  
Just take my hand  
Hold it tight_

_I will protect you  
from all around you  
I will be here  
Don't you cry_

Elphaba went into labor three weeks later and there was nothing Fiyero could do but wait.

Oz, it was torture. It was two weeks to soon for this to be happening. He knew this, his mother knew this, and Elphaba most definitely knew this. The tension in the air could have been cut with a knife and Fiyero felt like he was going to explode. So far it had been twelve hours. Twelve torturous, unhealthy, and dueling hours. Twelve damn long hours. Fiyero felt the need to pull his ears out, or better yet, cut his head off. He couldn't stand hearing _and _seeing Elphaba in pain. His mother _and _Elphaba had kicked him out for complaining, but it wasn't his fault that he had shouted out his mother to stop Elphaba's pain. Okay… so maybe he had been overacting just a little.

Fiyero huffed as he banged his head against the wall. Both women had said he wasn't making the progress any easier and that he needed to get his head straightened out before he went back in. Fiyero banged his head again, this time, only harder.

"You'll hurt yourself if you keep doing that," a voice told him smugly.

Fiyero looked up and found Avaric standing in front of him. Oz, was he glad to see him! "Oh! Thank Oz you're here! You have no idea what it's like in there..."

"Yes, you're right. I don't know, and frankly I would like to keep it that way."

"It's a living hell," Fiyero forced out, ignoring Avaric completely. "I swear that baby is killing her."

Avaric rolled his eyes. "Don't you think you're being a little melodramatic?"

Fiyero shook his head violently. "No. I don't. She's in pain Avaric!" he told him as if it was the last thing that was suppose to be happening. "A lot of pain and so much screaming! Why!? Why is this happening! Why her!?"

"Well, what did you think it would be like? Fast, dandy, and out comes a baby?"

He simply shrugged. "Something like that."

"Oh Oz! You really are stupid." Avaric shook his head sadly.

Fiyero pointed a finger at him. "No. I'm not stupid. I am a man, and that…" he trailed off, pointing a finger to the door Elphaba was behind. "That my friend is… is… I don't know, but it's –"

"It's life."

"And look at my hand." Fiyero held up his right hand. "I think it's broken! I never knew Elphaba was so strong."

Avaric swatted Fiyero's hand away from his face. "It's not broken you moron."

"How would you –" Fiyero was cut off by a loud scream, and he paled. "Elphaba…" And within seconds he disappeared behind the closed door, leaving Avaric alone and very amused.

"Fiyero…"

Within seconds he was by Elphaba's side, soothing her and completely forgetting about his injured hand. "Shh. I'm here. It's okay."

"When will it be over…?" she trailed off in a wince as a strong contraction took ahold of her. She gripped Fiyero's hand and braced herself against him.

"Elphaba," Elvira spoke, interrupting the two of them. "It's time to start pushing again."

"What? Again?" Fiyero asked. Had she already started without him?

Elphaba closed her eyes shut and shook her head. "No, not again…"

"We can't tell the baby to wait," she told them as she positioned herself between Elphaba's legs. "Okay? On the next one start to push."

Elphaba shook her head 'no', but then she felt Fiyero's strong arms wrap around her. She turned to look at him and he gave a soft smile and nod. In that moment, she never felt as grateful as she did that he was standing beside her, helping her through this. She made a mental note to thank him for it later.

He kissed her forehead as she began to push. "You're doing great."

"Elphaba, you're going to have to push harder than that. Nothing is happening," Elvira told her sternly.

Elphaba huffed and slumped back against the bed, completely exhausted. "I'm sorry. I can't," Elphaba nearly cried.

Fiyero's heart broke. She sounded so weak and tired, and there was nothing he could do to help. "Come on, Fae. Yes you can. I know you can do this, Fae."

She turned to him, nearly delirious from the pain and exhaustion. "No." She shook her head, and slowly she reached up to gently touched his cheek with her hand. "Can't you do this for me?"

Oz, he would have given anything to take away her pain, but he knew there was nothing he could do, but give her words of encouragement. "Fae, come on. One more time. Ready? One… two… three…"

Somehow Elphaba found strength in Fiyero's words, and although she felt nearly dead, she managed to give one last (long) push. She screamed and clutched Fiyero's hand with all her might; neither realizing that she was bruising it.

"Here we go…" Elvira told them loudly. "Okay… I can see the head. Come on, Elphaba."

Fiyero so badly wanted to take a peak, but he knew Elphaba would not think highly of this idea. Somehow, he managed to retain himself and to stay by Elphaba's side. Exactly, where she needed him to be. He kept uttering words of encouragement in her ear, and he silently wondered if they were helping her or just annoying her. However, in that moment he gave props to anyone who had ever given birth to a child. Even with him watching Elphaba do it now, he still couldn't fathom the idea of a baby coming out of her. She was so tiny and frail, and he silently wondered how the baby didn't break her. However, from the noise that was coming out of her mouth you would almost assume that maybe it was, in fact, breaking her. She screamed, grunted, and (if possible) clutched his hand tighter still. It hurt, but he couldn't really complain with Elphaba giving birth next to him. And although he could only imagine the pain she was experiencing now, he knew it hurt a lot more than a bruised hand.

And then he felt Elphaba fall back against him and before he could tell her to push again he heard the beautiful sound of baby's cry. He turned to her smiling and he kissed her temple again. "You did it, Fae. You did it!"

"It's a girl!"

Elphaba started to laugh and cry at the same time, feeling relief wash over her. She had a daughter. Those words felt odd to her. _She_ had a _daughter. _It was hers and she couldn't seem to break her trance as Elvira held the pink baby up for her and Fiyero to see. "She's so tiny." And suddenly Elvira turned around and her baby disappeared from her hazy sight. Elphaba clutched Fiyero's arm. "Where did she go?"

"Fae, calm down," he gently wiped away her tears. "They're just cleaning and wrapping her up."

"Oh… okay…"

"Here she is." Elvira returned, but this time the baby was wrapped in a giant pink blanket.

Elphaba eagerly reached out for her daughter and Elvira didn't hesitate to place the baby in her arms. She looked up at him in awe, both of them forgetting the pain she had just been through. Elphaba gently traced a finger over her daughter's face, memorized by every feature. She wasn't green, but the same color as Nessarose, when she had been born. Elphaba smiled in relief. The baby continue to cry in her arms, and gently she began to rock the baby back and forth to quiet her. "Shhh."

The baby's cries quieted at the sound of her mother's voice and slowly the baby opened her eyes, gazing up at her mother for the first time. Elphaba stifled something that was between a laugh and gasp. Her daughter's eyes were not blue or brown like most babies when they are born, but an entrancing emerald green. Was that even normal? But even if it wasn't she didn't care. It was the same exact color of her skin, but only brighter and more beautiful than Elphaba could have ever imagined.

"She looks like you, Fae," Fiyero told her softly. "She's beautiful."

Elphaba didn't argue with this, the moment was to perfect to be broken. Silently, she ran her finger across her daughter's raven hair and then down to the tiny hand that had settled by her face. And then, with a strength Elphaba didn't know a baby could have, she gripped her finger.

"What's her name?" Fiyero asked quietly.

She stared up at Fiyero and then dropped her eyes shyly. "I'm not sure."

"That's okay. We can think of one later."

She bit her lip. She wanted to figure out one now and just as she was contemplating this she felt a soft tug. Elphaba looked down with curious eyes and found her daughter's hand gently gripping her moon shaped necklace that hung loosely around her neck. A smile lit her face as an idea came to her.

"What about Lyra?" she asked sheepishly.

"Like the constellation?" He asked, wondering how in Oz she came up with it. Elphaba nodded, and looked down at the little baby in her arms. She was gripping the necklace he had gotten Elphaba awhile ago and he didn't stop the smile tugging at his lips. "It's perfect. But how did you come upon it?"

"I was looking through the library and I came upon this one book," she began softly. "It was a book about stars and constellations. I found it ironic because it was the day after you showed me the nursery which was a star and moon theme."

"There are so many constellations, though…" Fiyero told her.

"Lyra means lyre. A stringed musical instrument; a small harp. I always liked music…"

Fiyero looked up with interested eyes. "I didn't know you liked music."

Elphaba nodded. "I do… but do you like it, or should we pick a different name?"

His heart soared at the word _we_. It was so simple, and she probably didn't even realize she had said it, but the fact that he had a say in the baby's name made him feel ecstatic. "I love it," Fiyero told her, and quickly he leaned down closer to the baby face. "What do you think little one? Lyra okay?" She lazily opened her eyes and reached a chubby, but tiny, hand out to him. Fiyero held out his finger for her to grab. "I think she likes it."

"Lyra," Elphaba tested, still not removing her gaze from her newborn daughter.

Fiyero kissed her temple and softly he whispered in her ear, "It's perfect."

And it really was.

* * *

**I thought long and hard about the name because I wanted it to be perfect. So I looked each name up and I found that Lyra is the ****name of a small constellation. It's main star, Vega, is the fifth brightest star in the sky. And with all the talk about moon and stars in this story I knew that this name was perfect.**

**Thanks to TillItryillNeverKnow who came up with it. **

**Oh and I know baby's eyes are not green when they're born (At least I don't think they are) but i thought it was unique. I don't know.**

**Oh and forgot to mention! I had a little help From Rachel Green while writing this Baha. I love the tv show Friends**


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry for the long, long wait. School has been crazy, and then (don't shoot me) I sorta forgot about it, but then I saw Wicked last Sunday for Kerry Ellis's last show and i remembered. ****

* * *

**

**Chapter 15**

_Somewhere over the rainbow  
Way up high,  
There's a land that I heard of  
Once in a lullaby._

_Somewhere over the rainbow  
Skies are blue,  
And the dreams that you dare to dream  
Really do come true._

Fiyero rocked Lyra gently in his arms. She was less than seven days old, and though he had nearly been with her twenty four seven since the minute she was born, he still wasn't getting tired of her. Everything she did fascinated him. Simple things, like; blinking, yawning, or evening gripping his finger. She looked so much like Elphaba or maybe he was just being biased, but either way she was the most beautiful baby he had ever seen.

Lyra blinked at him, showing off her piercing emerald eyes and Fiyero smiled in awe. His mother had told him she had never seen anything like it before, nor had she seen an eye color so entrancing, so spell bounding, and so…green. He smirked at the thought, knowing that Lyra had all of them under her spell. If only, his mother knew about the 'visions' Elphaba had been having while she was pregnant with her. His mother would have a hoot about that, and go off on some random pep talk about witch craft and sorcery not being real.

At that moment the little girl began to fuss in his arms. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice an octave higher. She blinked at him, wiggled, and then bursted into heart breaking cries. Fiyero stared in horror and not quite sure what to do, he whispered, "Shh." Lyra was a good baby and rarely cried, so now that she was doing it, he felt utterly hopeless. "Please stop," he begged. "You'll wake Mommy."

But it was too late for that. As soon as he said those words, he heard the soft creak of the door opening. He turned around sharply and found a very tired Elphabastanding before him. She gave him an amused look and he knew that if she wasn't dead tired she would haveconjured something sarcastic to say. Instead, she went with, "Give her too me."

He gratefully placed the wailing baby in her arms. "What's wrong with her?"

"Nothing is wrong with her. She's just hungry, Fiyero."

Fiyeroblushed scarlet before mumbling something incoherent to her ears. She would not allow him to be in the same room as she nursed. However, he was curious and desperately wanted to stay. Casually, he turned to walk towards the wide window which gave a view of the starry night sky.

"Fiyero…" came Elphaba's warning tone.

"I won't look. I promise," he told her, refusing to leave. "Let me stay. Please?"

She gave an exasperated sigh, and with a lot of hesitation on her part, she finally agreed. "Fine. But if you look… I swear I'll kill you."

He couldn't help but smirk. "I don't think Lyra would like that."

She looked in his direction and seeing that his back was turned she unbuttoned her night gown and cuddled Lyra against her. Within seconds her daughter's wails quieted to soft slurps. "How would you know?"

"She loves me. Who are you kidding?" Fiyero shifted uncomfortable at the window still. He couldn't see Elphaba and Lyra, but he had a very vivid imagine of it in his head. For the first time since Lyra had been born he was jealous of her. Again, he shifted uncomfortably. Staying had been a very bad idea.

She smirked from behind, and then they were plunged into a comfortable silence. Fiyero liked this about them; how they could sit in silence, saying nothing, and yet saying everything. They could pour their hearts out in everlasting peace through simple movements, thoughts. They didn't need words to articulate themselves. After all, they completed each other. Fiyero knew this, and he was just waiting around for her to realize this to.

Time past and he wasn't aware of how long it had been until he felt his head nod. He would have surely fallen asleep if it wasn't for a startling gasp escaping from Elphaba's lips. Without thinking he whipped his head around and to his disappointment she had already buttoned up her shirt. She was done nursing Lyra, but her right hand still remained on the baby's head and a frown laid on her lips

Frowning slightly at the discomfort look on her face he asked, "Fae, you okay?" When she didn't answer he walked causally over to her side and knelt down in front of her. Her eyes were shut tightly, so he nudged her and to his surprise she gasped again. "Elphaba…?"

His eyes were wide with confusion and suddenly afraid that she was in pain, he tore her hands away from Lyra and scooped the baby into his own arms. However, the second Lyra was out of Elphaba's reach; her cooper eyes shot open, gasping for air and Lyra broke out into heart shattering screams.

"Fae, are you okay?"

Elphaba looked around the room frantically, heaving and looking extremely disoriented.

"Elphaba," he tried again. Within seconds, her eyes found him and the wailing girl in his arms.

"Give her to me." Her tone was strict as she reached for her daughter, but Fiyero ignored her and placed Lyra gently in her crib. And as if the baby knew it would ease Fiyero's headache, Lyra instantly stopped crying. Angrily, Elphaba called after him, "Fiyero, give her back to me."

"No, Elphaba you're tired…"

"No… no, give her back," her voice cracked, a characteristic so uncommon of her it scared him. He watched her as she stumbled out of the rocking chair, and by pure instinct he opened his arms to catch her. She fell into them, and Fiyero slowly eased them to the floor. At first she fought against him, but then slowly Fiyero felt the energy within her beginning to fade.

"Fae… what happened?" Whatever it was it had surely taken up all of her energy, making her dead tired.

"I… don't know." She looked startled, alert, yet tired. "_It_ took her. He took her from me. He took her. She's mine, not his."

Her voice was near panic, so he wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort her. "Fae, I'm sure you just fell asleep. You've been tired –"

"No," she cut him off. "It wasn't a dream. There was an eyelash on her face… I went to brush it away and as soon as I touched her cheek… I… I was somewhere else. It was so, _so_ clear."

He glanced nervously to where Lyra was sleeping. "What are you saying, Fae?"

"I think she had a vision," Elphaba told him bluntly.

"What?"

She bit her lip. "I know it sounds absurd, but I know what I saw Fiyero."

Fiyero felt her shudder against him again. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," he dismissed. "You're tired. Let's get you back to bed."

She angrily pulled away from him. "No. I'm not leaving her."

"Fae –"

"I'll sleep here tonight."

Fiyero nodded, knowing she wouldn't have it any other way.

------

Over the next few days Elphaba would not let Lyra out of her sight. It worried him. She wasn't sleeping, barely eating, and she didn't bother to spend her time with him while Lyra was sleeping. At first he didn't believe that Lyra was having visions, with her being less than two weeks old… it just didn't seem possible. And the fact that _he _couldn't see them made him wonder if it was just a connection between mother and daughter. However, he knew that whatever Elphaba saw startled her and the fact that he couldn't do anything to help her sent him into a world of hysterics.

Sighing, he walked down to Lyra's room, for he knew that's where Fae would be. Just as he was about to knock twice on the door a soft soothing sound hummed. He listened intently, suddenly becoming dazed. And then the room was filled with a voice so sweet, so soft, and so luxuriant it was impossible to believe that only one voice sung. Fiyero felt his mouth gape open slightly as he leaned his head against the ivory door. He let himself be swooped away into a world of relaxation, a world of bliss, and a world he had never known existed.

"_Somewhere over the rainbow way up high_, _there's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby." _Her voice was clear as day, and he closed his eyes, letting the beautiful melody of sound wash over him._ "Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true." _

Fiyero smiled as the song of her voice surged around him. He had never heard the song before, nor did he have any clue of how or where she came up with it. His feet stood rooted in place and slowly he felt his eyelids begin to drop as the energy within him suddenly failed. The song she was still singing drifted to a soft end; the last note hovered poignantly in silence.

And just as he was about to fade away to the abbess of darkness, he broke out of his everlasting spell. He found that his legs were no longer immobile, and groggily he pushed open Lyra's door.

"Hey," he yawned, and he suddenly wondered why he felt so tired. "Is she asleep?"

Elphaba looked up, startled by his sudden entrance. "Were you standing there the entire time?" she questioned.

He nodded. "I was. That song… you sang it so beautifully. You had me under your spell," he was only joking, but when he saw her face distort into panic, he quickly added, "I didn't know you could sing."

She blushed. "I…yes. Are you tired?"

"What? Yeah… a little. Why?"

"It works on you too?"

Fiyero barely heard her, for she had said it so softly. "What?"

"Nothing," she told him chastely, and without question she turned back to Lyra, who was currently in the abbess of a content sleep.

Sighing, he stepped further into the room, until he was standing a little to close behind her. "Where'd you hear that song?" he whispered into her ear, lingering a little longer than necessary.

She shivered as his breath stood still on the back of her neck. "Lyra… saw it. I heard… well saw – no – Lyra showed it to me." She shrugged. "In my opinion it's rather silly, but Lyra likes it and it _always _puts her to sleep." She turned around to face him. "And it apparently puts you to sleep too."

He couldn't help the goofy grin that spread across his face, but then his smile slowly faded away as he came to the realization of how close they were standing. "You have a beautiful voice," he whispered, his voice thick. "You're beautiful."

She blushed and when she locked eyes with him she blushed a color so bright he was afraid that she would burst. It hadn't actually occurred to him – until now – how often they had these… moments. He reached out to cup her face with his left hand and he felt her stiffen slightly, but she didn't pull away. He swallowed nervously at her sudden reaction. Did she want him to kiss her? It would only take a mere three inches to capture her lips with his, but what if he had misunderstood? What if_ he_ had wanted to kiss her so badly that he was now just imagining she wanted them to kiss too?

He searched her eyes for any signs of denial, but he found none. Making up his mind he moved his hand to the back of her head, tangling it into her silky hair. And with one deep breath he pulled her towards him, but at that moment the door was thrown open and Avaric swiftly walked into the room, completely oblivious to their sudden presence.

"Fiyero, your father told me…" he trailed off, eyeing them curiously.

Elphaba recoiled away from him, making their three inches of space between them a now three feet. "I had something in my eye," she told him defensively. It was so blunt Fiyero couldn't help but smile and she continued to ramble, obliviously flustered.

"Huh. You don't say?"

"I absolutely hate you," Fiyero told Avaric softly, but loud enough for both of them to hear. Elphaba looked petrified at his words, and - if possible - blushed a brighter color.

"Aw, and I love you," Avaric mocked. However, seeing the malicious look on his friend's face, he quickly added, "Dinner is ready. Your father told me to come a fetch you, but I found it rather rude. I don't fetch people. I'm not some sort of pet."

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "Yeah, okay we'll be down in a bit." Avaric nodded before heading out the door.

"You can go Fiyero… I'll stay here."

"Elphaba," he warned.

"No, I'll be fine," she told him as she briskly walked to the side of the crib. "I'm not even hungry."

"Fae, you haven't eaten in days. She's sleeping. She'll be fine."

She shook her head. "Fiyero…look –"

"No, Fae. I don't know what you saw, but whatever it was I can assure you that it was false. Nothing is going to happen to her."

Elphaba glared at him. "You didn't see it. You didn't see what it was like," she snapped at him. "You wouldn't understand."

Fiyero eyed her with sympathy and slowly he wrapped his arms around her from behind. "You're right. I don't know, but I can assure you that everything will be okay."

"How do you know?"

He shrugged. "Because it's always okay in the end."

"You don't know that… what I saw. It wasn't okay." She dropped her eyes shyly, but he caught her chin with his finger and forced her to look him in the eye.

"If it's not okay," he whispered. "Then it's not the end."

She bit her lip, fighting the urge to argue with that. "Look, I can't leave her by herself..."

Fiyero pulled on her hand. "Come on, Fae. One of the maids will look after her."

"No. I think I'll stay here."

He huffed mockingly. "I really didn't want to do this."

"Do what?"

He gave her one last goofy smile before grabbing her around the waist and lifting her into the air.

"Fiyero, put me down," but even as she spoke those words she couldn't help but laugh.

"She'll be fine."

And with those words said he carried her out the door.

* * *

**Again, so sorry for the long update, but I hoped you guys liked it. Please tell me what you thought.**

**Oh, and my writer's block is somewhat gone and I now have a somewhat vague idea on where this story is going. **

**Hope you liked it. I'll update soon.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 **

_Who is that girl I see  
Staring straight back at me?  
Why is my reflection someone  
I don't know?  
Somehow I cannot hide  
Who I am, though I've tried  
When will my reflection show  
Who I am inside?_

"She's so cute!" Kara exclaimed as she cuddled Lyra against her.

"Yeah, she is. Isn't she?"

Kara nodded as she spun around in a swift circle, her blond hair following her in a perfect wave. "I think she likes that." Kara spun again to prove her point and Lyra reached her tiny hand up to Kara's face.

"Until she throws up on you."

Kara stopped spinning immediately. "Where's Elphaba?"

"She's sleeping," he replied dryly.

"You sound angrily," Kara pointed out.

That's because he was, but he wasn't angry at Elphaba. He was mad at the reason _why _she was tired. Those stupid visions. He wasn't sure why or how, but every time Lyra had one, it would wipe Elphaba of all the energy she had, making her completely worn-out. One time she had nearly fainted with exhaustion, and if he hadn't been there to catch her, she would have surely dropped Lyra. He was worried, but Elphaba had just dismissed the matter, saying it was probably nothing.

He bit his lip. "No, I'm not angry. She's needs all the sleep she can get." Kara eyed him suspiciously, but before she could press the matter any further Lyra began to fuss. He couldn't help but laugh as his sister's face mutated into horror. "Here. Give her to me." He held out his hands and Kara gratefully placed Lyra into them.

"Ew. What's that smell."

"Her. She's needs to be changed."

Kara pinched her nose. "Oh."

"Where are you going?" Fiyero questioned, seeing that his sister was now heading out the door.

"She may be cute, but that…" she pointed to the dirty dipper in Fiyero's hand. "Is not."

Fiyero shrugged as he heard the door close from behind him. Sighing, he turned back to Lyra and continued to change her. "There we go. All finished." He patted her naked stomach and she cooed at him. He laughed. It was times like this when he forget about those ridiculous visions he couldn't see.

"You like that?" he questioned

She made an indignant sound, and with a broad smile on his face he bent down and blew a long raspberry onto her stomach. Lyra wiggled underneath his large head, and when he lifted his eyes to see if she liked it, he saw the most beautiful smile light Lyra's face. It was small and quick, but it was there.

It was the first time he had truly seen her smile, and for a second he was ceased by a moment of guilt that he had seen it before Elphaba. However, he dismissed that thought quickly because he wanted to see that beautiful smile again. Laughing, he bent down to blow another raspberry, but as soon as his lips connected to her soft skin he was jolted into some sort of vortex.

He struggled to breathe as clouded images flew past him and as quickly as it began, it stopped. He was thrown roughly onto the ground and it wasn't until he felt the soft dirt beneath him was he aware that he wasn't in Lyra's room anymore.

"_Eleka nahmen nahmen ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen. Eleka nahmen nahmen ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen…"_

Fiyero's head spun as the chant buzzed around him. Struggling, he opened his eyes and found four to five guards standing in front of him. He opened his mouth to speak, but he found that he couldn't. And without warning they began to beat him without mercy, and Oz did it hurt.

"_Eleka nahmen nahmen ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen. Eleka nahmen nahmen ah tum ah tum eleka nahmen…"_

He began to panic as his own blood started to obstruct his sight, making it nearly impossible to see. They were shouting at him. They wanted to know which way the witch went, but Fiyero couldn't answer, nor did he have any idea what they were talking about. It was a nightmare – the only explanation, but then why did it hurt so damn much? He gasped for air as an unspeakable pain ripped him apart. And then as his mind began to fade, he was slowly pulled back into that same vortex of clouded imagines.

Screaming, he recoiled back and didn't stop until he crashed into the wall behind him. He was greatly aware of Lyra's cries piercing throughout the room, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to move a limb. That - that vision had taken up all of his energy, and he knew for a fact that it wasn't his.

"Fiyero," the calm voice was so close, and yet so far away. He could hear Lyra's cries quieting to mere whimpers, then to silence. It wasn't until he felt a hand on his should did he open his eyes.

"Fiyero, are you okay?"

He blinked, and slowly, he managed to control his breathing. "Fae?"

Elphaba was crouched down in front of him with a worried expression on her face. "Oz, Fiyero. What happened?"

"I… I don't know," he mumbled."

"I heard you scream," she told him, fear sneaking into her voice.

Fiyero examined himself closely. All the blood, bruises, and pain had gone away, but he couldn't help but shudder at the memory. It had felt so real. His eyes flickered to Lyra's crib, and then back to Elphaba. "Is Lyra okay?"

She nodded, but then her face fell as she jumped to a conclusion that was correct. "You…saw… What did you see?"

He forced a smile onto his face. "Nothing important. Lyra was just showing me that song you sing to her," he lied.

"Then why were you screaming?"

Fiyero could tell that she wasn't buying his lie, but why should he tell her the truth if it would just worry her? "I was startled. I didn't know what was happening… but hey," he smiled at her. "I believe you now… about the visions."

She rolled her eyes. "I guess 'I told you so' would be too childish." And then her face became serious. "But what did you _really _see?"

"Nothing, I can't handle."

She let out an exasperated sigh. "Seriously, Fiyero. You are the most egotistic fool I have ever met."

Fiyero pouted, pretending to look hurt. "Aww, Fae. Now you don't really mean that. Do you? "

"And if I do?"

He leaned in close enough to whisper in her ear. "I think I would have to change your mind. Now, wouldn't I?"

She raised an eyebrow, skeptically. "I'd like to see you try," she challenged.

He wiggled his eyebrows, and without warning he tackled her to the ground. He wasn't sure what had possessed him to do it. Maybe it was her challenge, maybe it was how damn cute she looked, or maybe it was her midnight hair that had set him off. Either way, he didn't care, for Elphaba was now pinned underneath him. She made a sound somewhere between a laugh and grunt as she struggled to free herself, but he only laughed.

She jabbed his shoulder and when he didn't budge, she looked up at him with innocent eyes that would surely be his undoing. He gulped, waiting for a reply for his actions. "Well," she began. "What are you going to do now?"

Oh, he had ideas, and one too many of them would surely be crossing the line. Sighing, he whispered, "My secret weapon." He grinned at the blush that spread across her face.

"What?"

Fiyero wiggled his hand and within seconds Elphaba curled into ball and irrupted into laughter. His hands flew across her stomach, tickling her to death as she struggled to free herself. Her laughter sung throughout the room, and Fiyero could have sworn that it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.

"Fiyero stop!" she managed between laughs.

He did, but only long enough to whisper, "Do I win?"

"Win what?" she asked, confused.

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter, so do I win?"

She rolled her eyes. "How can you win if there is nothing to –?" Her sentence was cut off by her own laughter as Fiyero began to tickle her without mercy again. "Fiyero," she panted. "Stop."

"Say I won!"

For a second she broke free of his gripped, but when Fiyero pulled her right back, she flung her head back in defeat. "Okay. Fine."

He didn't stop. "Say it," he laughed.

"You win!"

Fiyero stopped immediately, but as soon as he did, he felt one jeering stab to his stomach. Moaning, he rolled off her and Elphaba let out a cheer of joy. "You know… seeing you crippled in pain like that… I would have to say _I_ won."

He rolled his eyes. "In your dreams." Fiyero watched as she straightened out her clothes and hair, and he couldn't help but think how she looked as if they had done more than a tickle fight. Oz, she looked beautiful.

He wasn't even aware that he had been staring, until a knock on the door broke him from his everlasting spell. "Come in," he called, his voice thicker than normal

It was Kara and a smile lit her face. "Dad and Mom would like to talk to you two over lunch," she announced. "They told me to watch Kara."

Elphaba bit her lip. "I'm not very hungry."

Kara laughed, and for a moment Elphaba looked mortified. "I don't think you have a choice."

She looked at Fiyero questionably, but he just shrugged and walked out the door.

---

Unwillingly, Elphaba and Fiyero sat across the table from his parents. His mother had said it was 'just a little get together over lunch,' but since Kara had not been invited, Fiyero felt it was going to be _the talk. _Yes. He had been waiting for this since the day he had brought Elphaba home, and though he was mortified, it was a conversation they _had to _(Mother's words, not his) have.

Sighing, he looked out of the corner of his eye and found Elphaba eyeing the door with such intensity, he was afraid that she would die of anxiety. He smirked. If she was worried about leaving Lyra alone with Kara, he couldn't wait to see her face when the conversation began.

"So," his father began dully. "There is something I would like to discus –"

Fiyero cut him off in a hurry, "Yes, the weather is rather splendid today. Don't you think?" At once, all eyes turned to him. It wasn't until then did he realize the randomness of what he had just said – but then again, he would have said anything to get them out of the conversation they were about to have.

"What?" his father asked.

"What?"

Ather's jaw tighten. "What? Fiyero that's beside the point. I think we need to discuss… the two of you."

At that, Elphaba snapped right back into the conversation, not even missing a beat. "What about us?"

"Well," his mother began, "Your father and I have been discussing your situation."

Fiyero could already feel Elphaba's mortification/anger unraveling. For comfort, he gave her hand a soft squeeze from under the table, and when she didn't pull away he couldn't help the shy smile tugging at his lip. "And?"

"People… they have started to talk. Rumors are starting to spread. They want to know about the girl who has caught their prince's eye."

Elphaba blushed, and immediately pried her hand out of his, but Fiyero gently placed it back into his own hand; right were it belonged. "Do they know about Lyra?"

His mother shook his head. "No, but some are assuming…"

"We have thought of a plan," his father finished.

"And what would that be?" Fiyero asked, despite the fact that he already knew the answer.

"Marriage," his father told him bluntly.

"What?" Elphaba snapped harshly, but only he could hear the fear sneaking into her voice.

His father looked taken aback by her response. In their culture, not many women were as straight-forward as Elphaba was. "Yes, marriage. It's the only answer." Fiyero mentally smacked himself at his father's wrong choice of words. Words, that would surely set Elphaba off.

And as if on queue, Elphaba angrily spoke, "Marriage is absolutely not the only answer. Why can't –"

"Let me finish," Ather told her strictly. "We'll tell them that you've been married for awhile, but you were afraid to tell us. Once you got pregnant, you decided to come clean. This way the public eye will not see it as a sin."

Elphaba's eyes grew cross. "I'm not getting married."

"Father, please," Fiyero tried a more gentle approach.

"No, Fiyero. You're getting married and that's final."

"Ather," his mother tired. "Let's talk about this. I'm sure –"

Without warning Ather slammed his fist on the table, making all of them jump. It was rare, but sitting before him now was not the father Fiyero had always known, but the strong king he would never be. "I will not have my granddaughter be called a bastard!" With those words said, Ather stormed away from the room.

Sighing, Fiyero looked at his mother. "Mother, you know the truth. You know we can't."

Elvira dropped her eyes. "I know, Fiyero. I'll talk to him. Okay?"

Fiyero nodded, and silently he took Elphaba's hand in his again. "It's going to be okay, Fae." He smiled at her.

"Is it Fiyero?"

With those words lingering up in the air, she stormed out of the room.

* * *

I haven't wrote the next chapter yet, but tomorrow's my last day and then it's break!!! so I should have time to write a chapter and post sometime this week...hopefully.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

_I'm gliding smooth as a figure skater  
I'm riding hot as a rocket blast  
I just expected it ten years later  
I've got a singular impression  
Things are moving too fast_

By the time Fiyero finally caught up with Elphaba in Lyra's room, she already had a bag wide opened and was throwing clothes into it. Fiyero pinched the bridge of his nose, desperately trying to think of something to say without making it worse. Taking a deep breath he entered the room and causally walked over to Elphaba's side.

"Fae, what are you doing?" he asked softly, despite the fact that it was already clear.

She wouldn't look him in the eye. "Fiyero, don't." She stuffed three more of Lyra's dresses into the bag, and just as she began to reach for another outfit, Fiyero caught her wrist.

"Look at me, Fae."

She stubbornly looked out the window instead. "Fiyero, I'm leaving. I don't care what your Father says. I'm not marrying you."

He gently cupped her chin, and tilted her head up to meet his gaze. He could see the dilemma processing behind her copper eyes and in that moment he wanted to kiss all of her problems away. It was a perfect moment too, and yet he couldn't seem to close the mere three inches between them. It wasn't right… at least not like this. Not now. He didn't want their first kiss to be their last goodbye. And in that moment he knew what he had to do.

"If you're leaving, then I'm leaving with you."

She looked baffled, and she quickly tore herself away from his strong grip. "Fiyero, no! You're a prince. You have to stay here."

"No, I don't. I can come with you," he replied softly. He wouldn't yell, but apparently this just made her angrier.

"And how long do you think it'll take for your lovely guards to find us?" She screamed at him. Oz, how he hated it when she was mad. "Your father will have your face placed in every town, city. You _have _to stay here. Your parents will think I kidnapped you!"

He shook his head in protest and began to unpack her things, but Elphaba grabbed them right out of his hand. "Would you stop?" he fumed, but she still continued to pack her clothes as he continued to unpack them. "This isn't working!" and with that he stepped aside to let her pack. Angrily, he turned on his heel and went for the one thing, no – person – she wouldn't leave without.

"Fiyero," she immediately stopped at the realization that he was now heading for Lyra's crib. "Stop. Fiyero, stop."

"No, Fae we have to talk about this," he replied gently as he scooped Lyra up into his arms. After a moment of silence he managed to look Elphaba in the eye, and he wasn't surprised what he saw. For the first time in his life he was afraid that Elphaba would truly kill him right then and there.

"Fiyero, give her to me." Her eyes were dark with a protection he had never known she possessed. "Give her to me right now, or –"

Fiyero quickly interrupted her, "Don't shout. You'll disturb her." Smiling, he tickled Lyra with his free hand and she cooed up at him – completely unaware of her parent's current fight.

Elphaba closed her eyes in frustration. Fiyero watched as she tried to calm herself down, but he was almost certain that this was going to be awhile. However, to his surprise she opened her eyes in seconds and in a soft voice, she spoke, "Look, Fiyero. You can't come with us. Your parents… they won't accept."

"To hell with them," he whispered sternly. "I care about you and Lyra, Fae. Can't you see that? Besides, where will you go?"

She shrugged, for she hadn't really thought about it. "I know some places."

"I'm coming with you," he told her, his voice growing louder with each second. "I want to help you. You can't take care of her alone, Fae."

"She's not yours, Fiyero!" Elphaba snapped at him.

His face crumbled at her words. It was a slap in the face and they both knew this, but if she really meant it, he wasn't sure. She wanted him to back down, to let her leave, but he had made a promise and he wasn't going to leave now. No, he would stay by her side for the next eighteen years and longer if she let him. He stared her down with resentment woven into his face. Since the day he met her, he couldn't recall ever yelling at her, but wasn't there a first time for everything? It was his turn to be angry now. "Just because I didn't conceive her does not mean that I'm not her father. She _is _mine, Fae. And don't you forget it." He had said it so harshly and with such meaning he was afraid that he was going to make her turn and run.

She dropped her eyes shyly to avoid his penetrating gaze, and for what felt like an eternity they stood in silence. Elphaba wasn't stupid. She knew that Fiyero would marry her in a heart beat if she asked him too. Hell, he would probably jump off a bridge for her. The room was thick with a tension so sharp; Fiyero could have cut it with a knife. It wasn't until then did he realize this was their first true fight, and he didn't like it one bit. In fact, it made him feel sick. He wanted to rewind their horrible conversation and take back everything he had said to make her upset, but before he could apologize she spoke first.

"I...I'm sorry," Elphaba began, softly. "I just don't understand why you care so much."

He stared at her for a moment, and then with his free hand, he gently cupped her cheek. "I don't understand why _you _care that I care so much," he challenged back.

Elphaba dropped her eyes shyly, but to Fiyero's surprise she leaned her face into his hand. "I never asked for your help," she forced out.

"Fae." He shook his head with sympathy. "You didn't have to."

They were silent for a moment, neither knowing what to say. Fiyero leaned his forehead against hers and she locked eyes with him for a brief moment. Slowly, as if asking for permission he gently kissed her temple. It was simple and it was sweet, but it made Elphaba blush and pull away slightly, breaking their spell. "I can't stay here, Fiyero," she told him quietly. "I can't marry you."

He nodded. "I know Fae. That's why I'll come with you." He shrugged. "This whole 'heir' thing isn't really my… thing."

Despite herself she couldn't help but laugh. "Your thing?"

Fiyero cracked a smile. "Please, Fae. Let me come."

"No," she finally decided, but he could tell she was lying.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, he took a brave step towards her. "But you see, Fae. You don't have a choice."

Now in reaching distance Lyra gripped the necklace secured around Elphaba's neck and pulled. Elphaba smiled down at her daughter and brought their foreheads together. "If only your father would stop being such a pain."

Fiyero's heart soared at Elphaba's words. "What'd you say?" he questioned afraid that he had just imagined her saying the word 'father'.

She raised her head and looked him in the eyes. "You heard me."

"Thank you, Fae."

She nodded. "For her."

They both glanced down at Lyra who smiled at them. Elphaba's intake of breath startled him, and for a brief second he had forgotten that she hadn't seen it before. "Fiyero, did you see that? She smiled!"

He handed Lyra to her and Elphaba cuddled her against her with a happiness, Fiyero had only seen a few times when she was with him. "It's a beautiful smile," he paused. "Like yours."

She blushed and before Fiyero could tease her anymore the door burst open. Avaric swiftly walked over to them and took a low bow. "Don't thank me," he chanted with a smile.

Fiyero couldn't help but laugh. "And what shouldn't we be thanking you for?"

"Well, let's just say a little special someone talked your father into reconsidering his options."

Elphaba gently handed Lyra back to Fiyero and turned to Avaric questionably. "What?"

"My father is impossible to talk to," Fiyero stated.

Avaric smirked. "Impossible my ass." Elphaba scowled at him for cursing in front of Lyra and Avaric held up his hands in mock surrender.

"What'd you do?"

"Nothing you won't like," Avaric told them smugly and then he turned to Elphaba. "Especially, you."

"What is it?" she asked, curiously, eagerly.

Avaric smiled. "Okay, well the wedding will just be postponed for about… four years."

Fiyero's face distorted into confusion. "How the hell did you get him to wait that long. I can barely change his mind over what's for dinner. How'd you do it?"

"I wooed him," Avaric joked.

Elphaba rolled her eyes and Fiyero turned to her, smiling gratefully. "Fae, now we can stay. We'll be happy here."

Avaric cut him off. "Well, not exactly."

"What do you mean?" Elphaba asked skeptically.

"Well, were not living here. After a long enduring conversation and with the help of your mother," Avaric paused to let the effect of his words settle. "We managed to convince him of letting you stay somewhere else before you get married. And as long as I accompany you. You can go, and don't worry… Lyra will be able to come too."

Fiyero huffed angrily at him. "But _where _are we going?"

Avaric smiled and turned to Elphaba. "Shiz University."


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. And if there are spelling mistakes, I do apologize. I read it over, but it's long, so I most likely missed some. **

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Chapter 18

_So close to reaching that famous happy ending  
Almost believing this one's not pretend  
And now you're beside me and look how far we've come  
So far, we are, so close_

Elphaba peered outside the train window and sighed nervously. In the distance, she could vaguely make out a few buildings just barely peeking up over the tree tops. They would arrive soon enough, but she couldn't help but feel her stomach drop with uncertainty. Fiyero had explained it to her a thousand times and yet she still couldn't comprehend the fact that everything would work out fine. She wanted to go to Shiz so badly, but the more she thought about it, the more wrong it felt. Lyra was still so very young, how the hell was she going to manage her time between classes and spending time with her daughter? A sudden wave of fear washed over her at the thought. Who would watch Lyra when she was at class? Where would she stay? Surely, a baby wouldn't be accepted at Shiz.

"Fae," Fiyero interrupted her thoughts. "Stop worrying."

She absolutely hated the fact that he knew her so well, when she hardly knew herself. Letting out an exasperated sigh she tore her eyes away from the window to throw him a glare. "I'm not worrying," she defended herself. He raised an eyebrow and she huffed. "Okay, fine. Maybe a little. It's just…"

"What?"

"Babies aren't meant to be on campus. Where will Lyra be when I'm at class? What if –" she was silenced by his hand being clamped over her mouth.

"Calm down. Since, the dorms aren't coed we can't share a room," he paused. "They won't even let us be in the same dorm building, but I have arranged…"

At that, Avaric, who was sitting across from them, irrupted into laughter. "You have arranged absolutely nothing. If I remember correctly it was your father and I who –"

"Oh, shut up," Fiyero cut him off, and with a bewildered look he turned back to Elphaba. "A private room has been arranged for you and Lyra. We can take turns – if you want – on where she sleeps. That way –"

Elphaba was vaguely aware of pulling Lyra closer to her chest. "She has to stay with me," she insisted.

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "No she doesn't. Besides, you need your sleep."

"I have to wake up to nurse her and I'm certainly not walking across campus in the middle of the night." Her voice was stern, but her eyes dared him to challenge her.

Fiyero blushed a deep scarlet. "Oh, yes. I forgot… about that."

They were seized by a moment of awkward silence. Desperately trying to calm her thoughts, Elphaba returned her gaze to the window. She rarely got nervous over anything, and now that it was happening, she couldn't help but feel like she was balancing all of Oz on her shoulders. All of her life she had been teased and bullied. So how could she mange eighteen years of that, but she couldn't manage going to Shiz? However, she already knew the answer to this. It wasn't about her this time. Not taking the silence any longer she asked, "Who is going to watch her when we're at class?"

"I am."

Elphaba found Avaric's eyes unerringly fast and she pressed her lips in a fine line. She really didn't like the idea at all. It's not that she didn't trust Avaric, because she did. It was just that ever since that vision, she was paranoid of Lyra being whisked away while she wasn't around. "You can't take care of her all the time," she pointed out to him.

Avaric smiled at her, clearly amused by her concern. "Elphaba, I will assure you that no harm will come to Lyra." However, seeing Elphaba's brow fused together, he quickly added, "If I get tired the Headmistress, Madame Morrible, has offered to watch her."

"I don't know her."

Fiyero chuckled, "Fae, stop worrying. Everything is going to be okay. I promise."

The train's whistle suddenly let out an ear piecing scream letting them all know that they had arrived. Avaric was the only one who moved to get their luggage.

"I think Lyra likes the plan," Fiyero began.

At that, Elphaba looked down to see her daughter cooing and smiling up at her. "Yeah, but she also thinks that putting her foot in her mouth is a good idea too."

Fiyero smiled in spite of himself. "Things have a funny way of fallen into place. You'll see, Fae." He took her hand, pressed it up against his chest. His heart was beating so hard she could feel it, as if possibility were something you might cup in your palm. She looked up at him, keeping her eyes wide open as he leaned in to kiss her temple. "Come on," he said and she didn't hesitate to grip his hand and follow him out the door.

---

They had arrived a couple of days late, so the grounds were already filled with students milling about. Some were studying furiously, while others chatted in groups no larger than five. Elphaba held Lyra closer to her as one curly red head eyed her hauntingly before turning back to her friends and erupting into laughter. She could feel the eyes of everyone they passed and she could hear the low murmurs of students as they whispered fervently to their friends.

"Is she really green?" she heard one say.

"Is that _Fiyero Tiggular?" _another whispered. "It can't be if he's with _her_."

"Is that the Governor's daughter? I thought she died."

It was the next one that set her off. "I heard her father kicked her out because she raped some poor bastard."

She stopped abruptly and just as she was about to whirl around to confront the girl, Fiyero caught her wrist and pulled her flush against him. "Ignore them," he whispered into her ear and just as he was about to plant a kiss on her cheek she roughly pushed him away.

"Not here, Fiyero." She dropped her eyes to Lyra, so she wouldn't see the look of disappoint spread across his face. She wasn't stupid. Fiyero walking with her was enough to ruin his reputation, and though he had told her he didn't care, she knew he was lying.

"I'm going to take the luggage to the dorms," Avaric proposed. "Can you guys find the Headmistresses office?" They both nodded, so he turned on his heal and disappeared in the opposite direction.

Elphaba caught the eye of Munchkin boy she recognized, but couldn't remember when or where she had seen him before. When he didn't advert his gaze she snapped, "No, I did not eat grass as child." The boy flew off in the opposite direction and Elphaba frowned.

"Don't scare him, Fae."

"I seem to have that effect on people."

Fiyero gave her a smile that made her go weak at the knees. "Come on. Madame Morrible's office should be…," he paused to glance down at the card he was holding. "This way."

They walked side by side, and Elphaba desperately tried to ignore the stares of others. It felt odd walking next to Fiyero and holding Lyra in her arms. At the thought her stomach dropped. Surely, they would think that Lyra was his, but before she could express her doubts Fiyero had stop suddenly to do something a man _never _will do. Ask for directions.

"Excuse me." He tapped the back of an adult. "Could you tell me where I could find Madame Morrible's office?" The woman whirled around and Fiyero took a step back in surprise. He had not been expecting the uncanny, clown make up and the sadistic smile.

"Why that would be me…" Madame Morrible let out a shriek when she saw Elphaba. "Oh... My Dear.... you gave me a fright. And you must be?"

"Fiyero Tiggular," he introduced himself. "And this is Elphaba and Lyra…"

"What do we have here?" The woman leaned over to gaze into the bundle of joy, but the moment she locked eyes with Lyra, she burst into tears. "Oh," Morrible frowned, leaning away from the baby. "You must be the… _special_ ones."

"Eh, yes…I guess that would be us."

Elphaba's eyes widen as she tried to calm her daughter. "I'm sorry she's not normally like this…"

Morrible eyed them with disgust. "Hmm, Yes. I'm sure she's just delightful."

"Sh." Elphaba slowly rocked the baby back and forth until Lyra's cries were mere whimpers.

Unable to look the headmistress in the eye Fiyero began, "We are here for our – well, her room assignment. We walked passed her dorm early, but the clerk told us that there are no rooms left."

"Oh, yes. I'm afraid we had miscounted on the number of suites we had. I'm afraid our last one went a couple of days ago."

"_What," _Elphaba hissed.

"Oh, have no fear, My Dear." She gave them a crooked smile and held her head high. "I'll give you a list of names and you can choose who you would like to room with. I'm sure someone has a heart."

"And if they don't?" she asked, anger sneaking into her voice.

By now Fiyero was fuming. "My Father arranged for a _private _suite for Elphaba and her daughter," he shouted and Elphaba eyed him skeptically. She had only seen him angry once, but even then couldn't compare to now. "If I don't see that this is –"

Morrible cut him off with a heated glare. "Oh, please, Master Fiyero. Everything will work out fine."

"This isn't fair," Elphaba insisted before Fiyero could make an even more fool of himself. "If he paid for it…"

"I'll give you the list of names." With those words said, Madame Morrible headed for a large building not to far away from where they were standing.

Fiyero glared at the woman's back, desperately wishing that he could burn a hole into the back of her head. "Don't worry, Fae. I'll write to my father and everything –" he stopped abruptly as Elphaba began to thrust Lyra into his arms. "What…?"

"Here, hold her," Elphaba told him suddenly and before he could protest she was already chasing after Madame Morrible, leaving him alone.

He looked around hesitantly and then with an exasperated sigh he stared down at Lyra. "Well it's just you and me." She was wrapped in an over sized blanket, so only her head and arms were sticking out. She smiled up at him and Fiyero brought his hand down to rub her covered stomach.

It was a beautiful day out and despite his best intentions to take Lyra on a walk; he knew Elphaba wouldn't be happy to find them gone when she came back. So sighing heavily, he leaned against an odd looking statue nearby and settled Lyra against him. There were other students sitting on the statue and he was painfully aware of their sharp gazes as they tried to get a peak at the bundle in his arms.

"Is it green?" he heard a student whisper from behind him and he slowly pulled Lyra closer to him, so the curious student wouldn't see her face..

"Oh. My. Oz!" Fiyero heard another bubbly gasp. "That's Fiyero _Tiggular! _Biq, do you know who that is?"

He smiled. It was probably the first good comment he had heard all day.

"You're touching me," came the ecstatic reply, and Fiyero couldn't help but chuckle.

"He's that Winkie Prince whose reputation is _so _scandalaches!"

Curiously, he looked over his shoulder and nearly fell from shock, for the girl was already up in his face. "Are you looking for something," she paused to blink her long eye lashes and to flip her golden curls over her shoulders. "Or someone?"

"I actually am," he told her and the girl's smile widen. He eyed her up and down. Her golden curls, pixie smile, and designer outfit told him that she had more money than necessary. A few months ago he would have done anything to get this girl to like him, but then he met Elphaba and everything changed.

"I'm Galinda."

"Fiyero."

"I know." She giggled, flipped her hair, and leaned in closer to him. She had done it perfectly, making it look natural, instead of absurd.

He opened his mouth to tell the lovely lady who he was looking for, but a short boy ran into him, making him almost drop Lyra. "Hey," Fiyero shouted angrily. "Watch where you're going!"

"S-sorry… I just have to ask Galinda a question…." The boy stammered.

Galinda looked appalled, so she whirled around to confront the boy. "Biq –"

"Boq."

"Can't you see that me and Fiyero are having a _private _conversation," she huffed, and Fiyero couldn't help but notice the way she said me and Fiyero, instead of Fiyero and I. Oz, he was spending too much time with Elphaba.

Boq erupted into laughter. "If the baby can listen, then I think I have a right then too!"

At that, Galinda turned back around and let a gasp escape her mouth. "Ooh! I'm sorry…" She took a step back, suddenly embarrassed. "I had no idea."

Fiyero couldn't help but laugh as she became flustered. "She won't bite," he told them, holding the baby up for them to see.

Galinda smiled weakly at him before peering into the blanket. "Ooh! Isn't she cute?!"

"Yeah, she is." He glanced around frantically, hopefully. "Her mother should be back soon."

"Oh." He watched as Galinda's face fell and Boq's rose with a new happiness. However, Galinda caught a glimpse of his ring less finger and her perkiness instantly returned. "Well, is there anything I can do for you?"

He shook his head and frowned at the unfamiliar closeness from this girl. A girl who wasn't Elphaba. "No…I'm good now." He glanced over his shoulder and took a step back. "I just hope Elphaba gets a suite we paid for…"

Galinda's face jumped for joy. "Well, I'm in one of the suites." She lifted her heals off the ground so she could lean in closer to him. "You can come visit me anytime you wish."

"Men aren't allowed in the women's dormitory," Boq piped up, anger sneaking into his voice.

She glared at him before turning back to Fiyero and giggled. "The security is awful."

Fiyero frowned, thinking of Lyra. "That's not good."

Galinda shrugged, smiling sweetly at him. "I guess it depends on how you look at it."

He forced a smile. "Eh, I guess…"

"I think Fiyero has some things he needs to attend to, Galinda…" Boq insisted, desperately trying to pull the blond's attention elsewhere.

"Oh, nonsense, Biq!" Galinda scolded.

"Boq."

"Actually, I do…" Fiyero jumped in, feeling oddly out of place with these two strangers.

Her face crumbled, clearly distraught by his words. "Oh, okay then…"

"I have to go help Elphaba look for a suite…." He ran his free hand through his air, and immediately regretted his action, for Galinda went weak at the knees. "They overbooked rooms, so Elphaba is going to have to share with someone. Oz, she's really going to hate that."

"Oh, are you really, _really, _good friends with… Elphaba?" she questioned him,

"Oh, yes. We do everything together." Fiyero caught something – anger, was it? – spread across her face, but whatever it was, he shrugged it off quickly.

Galinda frowned at that, but then a thought crossed her mind. "Well, if Elfba –

"Elphaba," he corrected sternly.

"Right… needs a room; she can always stay with me." Galinda giggled up at him. "And then you could come over sometime and we could all hang out."

Fiyero beamed at her, instantly liking this girl. "Really, you would do that for her?"

Galinda nodded, getting lost into his eyes. "Anything for _you_."

Boq frowned, clearly not liking the idea of Fiyero and Galinda hanging out together. "You haven't even met her, Galinda. She could be some killing –"

Fiyero cut him off, "Or she could be nice and loving." He glared at the boy, daring him to challenge him.

Boq shrunk back, but he whispered to Galinda, "She's green." It was rude, but also the truth and Boq was positive that he would have said anything to get Galinda to change her mind. It's not that he didn't like this new girl... he just didn't like Fiyero.

"What?" Galinda asked, puzzled.

"Emerald," Fiyero corrected.

"What's the difference?"

"This is _s_o confusifying!" Galinda giggled.

"Fiyero, there you are…" Elphaba trailed off as all eyes instantly turned to the voice that had interrupted them. Both boys were fuming at each other and Elphaba couldn't help but think that the girl looked high.

"She _is _green," Galinda whispered back to Boq, who smiled triumphantly at Fiyero.

"Hey, Fae." He reached out his free hand for her, but she reached for Lyra instead. Her daughter made an indignant nose as she lifted her back into her arms, and Fiyero dropped his hand awkwardly. "Did Morrible help you?"

Elphaba threw an uneasy glance at the two strangers and then back to Fiyero. "No… she just gave me names," she paused, "Fiyero, maybe this wasn't a good idea…"

"But you see, while you were gone I met Boq and Galinda…"

Boq nodded awkwardly and Galinda tried to smile, but it ended up in a grimace. If she would have known that _this _was Fiyero's friend she never would have offered to share her suite. Seriously, how was she suppose to know that this girl was going to be the campus freak? However, when Fiyero gave her his award wining smile her mind went blank and she instantly forgot about this so called Elfba.

"Galinda has offered to share her dorm with you," Fiyero finished with a smile.

Elphaba eyed the blond skeptically and pulled Lyra closer to her. Elphaba knew better than anyone that you shouldn't judge, but it was just nearly impossible with this girl. It was everything about her. Her perfect make-up, her white, _expensive _clothes, and her flirtatious attitude. Everything about this girl screamed popular and Elphaba couldn't help but hold a grudge against her. She could see now that they wouldn't get along.

"Well," Fiyero piped up. "It's settled then."

He smiled at them, completely oblivious to the death glares both women were giving each other.


End file.
